The Intersection of Technology and Democracy: Strengthening or Threatening

Editorial Note: Many aspirants preparing for competitive exams struggle with writing a comprehensive essay, particularly in creating a proper outline and thesis statement. To address these challenges, ‘The Spine Times’ has initiated a series of essays that apply various discourses, tailored to meet the requirements of the FPSC. Argumentative essays, in particular, tend to be challenging, as dividing the essay into three key sections—thesis, antithesis, and synthesis—can be difficult. However, in this essay, ‘The Intersection of Technology and Democracy: Strengthening or Threatening’ the author effectively resolves these issues by giving equal attention to all three parts while maintaining cohesion and coherence, throughout.

Outline

1. Introduction
   Technological advancement distorts democratic ideas resulting in a democratic recession. A school of thought nonetheless opines that technology strengthens democracy which seems abstruse.
2. Cahoot between technology and democracy: a brief overview
3. Technological advancement jeopardizes democracy in many ways:
   I. Sway of misinformation and disinformation influences the political processes
   II. Erosion of the middle class: a threat to political participation
   III. Adversaries can manipulate election results by hacking or cyber attacks
   IV. Breach of basic human rights like privacy leads to autocracy
   V. Inundating roles of techno giants in legislation and policy-making clear negation of popular sovereignty
   VI. Rise of tecno feudalism: a thread to the third world democracy due to augmenting foreign debts
   VII. Inculcation of new warfare overlooks the basic democratic objectives such as human development free trade etc
4. Optimists believe that technology is a silver line for democratization:
   I. Promulgation of socio-political consciousness via technology means
   II. Digitalisation makes the electoral process effective and convenient
   III. Promotes a direct relationship between polity and their leaders
   IV. Digital media acts as a watchdog
5. The ground realities, however, debunk the basic narratives of optimists:
   I. Social consciousness resulting in void social polarization
   II. Non-democratic forces can easily steal elections by controlling digital tools
   III. Increasing engagement of people and their representatives fostering populism
   IV. The active role of digital media deteriorating moral and social values which have had negative ramifications on democracy
6. Conclusion

Essay

Since its inception, Western liberal democracy has encountered multiple challenges. The notion of nationalism and the flux of demagogues in the 19th and 20th centuries, respectively attempted to curtail democracy. The milieu has changed with the epic, notwithstanding the fate of democracy, which has remained under horror even in the 21st century due to the weaponization of technology. It not only proliferates falsified and unauthentic news to maneuver public opinion but also poses existential threats to the middle class resulting in political disengagement. The increasing surveillance and the abatement of liberal values by using advanced technology, clearly demonstrate that democracy is in danger in the age of technology. V-Dem-2023, Report unleashes the stark reality, that almost 78% of the global population is directly or indirectly under autocratic regimes. A group of people nevertheless, believes that technology strengthens democracy by educating people about their rights and responsibilities and also improves political processes and engagement like elections and political campaigns. These prospects seem bleak in reality, the exacerbation of populism and social polarization are akin to digitalization. Hence technological advancement distorts democratic ideas resulting in a democratic recession. A school of thought nonetheless opines that technology strengthens democracy which seems abstruse.

The fundamental electoral process- elections take place within the polling booth however, various other democratic processes like political campaigns, meetings, propagation of party manifestos, and so far so forth have had a profound impact on the elections. In the modern age, all these activities are carried out with the help of technology. Social media, mainstream media, and other techno-based tools like artificial intelligence play critical roles in convincing voters to form public opinions and effective communication within the party and between the leaders and their supporters. Therefore, in contemporary democracy, political forces contest by technology and then by voting. Those parties or groups who use technological tools prudently will always find themselves ahead of their competitors in the political ring.

The pre-eminent question in the social-political discourse that technology: is a threat or strength to democracy needs a detailed discussion. Most of the social-political philosophers are of the view that technology makes democracy vulnerable.

Politics without Ethics is a Disaster

Different technological sources have become a means to propagate misinformation and disinformation. Most of the politicians across the globe use technology like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to spread false news for the sake of political gains these means are less costly, easily accessible, and also cover a large number of people making the democratic roots vulnerable. According to the 2023 survey of Ipsos 83% of the participants from the 16 different states anticipate that technology will be used to promulgate misinformation in the elections of 2024, across the globe. Hence technology deteriorates democratic values as it manipulates the public by using baseless news and information.

Moreover, technological advancement surges economic stratification which alters political culture, negatively. A vibrant middle class is inevitable for a functioning democracy, however, technology is shrinking the middle-income class by making the rich, richer and the poor, poorer. Despite the increasing concentration of resources, artificial intelligence and other technology tools are replacing people in industries and other workplaces. Henry Kissinger and his co-authors in their book The Age of AI warn that rising unemployment owing to the technology marginalizes people within the society. It means that technology is hampering democracy by pushing the majority of people away from practical politics.

Digitally driven democracy also becomes easy to manipulate for non-democratic forces. The perpetrator can alter the whole results by hacking the sides of key institutions. Better spines and advanced technology will favor them. For instance, the 2018 American elections became controversial as the Democrats blamed the role of the KGB, the Russian spy agency behind the victory of President Trump. This episode has jolted the whole world as America, the sole superpower of the world has failed to counter digital rigging what about the rest? Therefore it is crystal clear that free and fair elections are a far cry in the digital world.

Abuse of technology to avoid the fundamental rights of people leads society towards autocracy. The basic motive behind the inculcation of democracy is to protect inalienable rights like life, liberty, and property. However, in today’s world, these values are at bay because the authorities have superseded their basic roles. Governments are involved in various detective measures such as special recognition using thumbprints and other personal information for security reasons which are restricted in democratic societies. David Runciman in his masterpiece, “How Democracy Ends” highlights that governments are using technology to intercept the personal privacy of the people for their gains. So democratic governments are retreating from their true democratic value due to the influence of technology.

The influence of technological power in policymaking overlooks the sovereign power of the people. Democracy believes that the populous is supreme. Abraham Lincoln vehemently defined democracy, as a system “of the people by the people and for the people”. But with the overwhelming role of technology in the electoral process and finance the pivot of power has sked away from the people. The interest of the governments and legislatures is influenced by the interest groups. Noam Chomsky one of the Titans of social politics argues in “Government in the Future” that the role of technological organizations in legislation has weakened democracy. It rationalizes that the popular sovereignty that used to be rested in the people now only existed in ideas but not in reality.

Digital Terrorism: Why Pakistan is more Susceptible?

The increase in the North-South gap, economically because of the technological revolution in the West is jeopardizing the democratic system in the third world nations. A sound and functioning democracy demands a sustainable economy: a stable economy ushers true democracy and vice versa, according to the “Universal Declaration of Democracy” adopted by the Inter-Parliamentary Council. The under-development nations that are already in a recession are further in debt as they are dependent on the technology exports of the West. The World Economic Forum in its 2022 report illustrates that the economic chasm between the developed and underdeveloped nations has surged by many folds due to technological advancement. Hence, the Third World nations are unable to fulfill the economic and developmental needs of the people which swiftly turn them into autocracy.

Lastly, the culmination of new war fronts, amidst the technological revolution diverges the interest of democratic governments from global democratization the third wave of democracy which was preluded after the disintegration of the USSR now is in decent. America once the torch bearer of Western liberal democracy is now struggling to attain liberal values. Looking inward policies- “America First” and the usurpation of economic liberalism by imposing tariffs and sanctions on others are lucid enough to claim that technology has produced a democratic dilemma. Global democracy index 2022 issued by The Economist substantiates the above argument, that most of the democratic countries have lost the status of true democracy America India, and various European states are declared as ‘flawed democracies’-harsh but true reality. Sans any doubt technology has carried out multiple novel insecurities that are subduing global democracy.

On the flip side, a group of people seems hopeful that technology strengthens democracy by multiple means. Firstly the inculcation of social-political consciousness among the people due to technology is a prospect for a democratic system. Various social media platforms provide essential information and opinions that help people understand their rights and responsibilities making them informed voters. For example, in late 1980 and 2018, the voting turnout in Pakistan was reported as 32% and 52% respectively. This analogy establishes that the participation level of people has opulently increased in Pakistan and technology is one of the causes that attracted people to political activities.

Apart from social-political consciousness, digitalization improves the democratic process. The digital census helps in the formation of electoral lists and the demarcation of various electoral wards. Electoral voting machines (EVMs) also play a significant role in ironing out the constraints of a manual voting system. Nearly 31 states are using EVMs fully or partially across the globe for polling. Therefore, using technology to accomplish different electoral processes not only brings transparency but also proves cost-effective resulting in the strengthening of democracy.

2024’s Elections: Global Status Quo under Siege

Technology has effectively circumscribed the communication gap between the political leadership and their supporters. Most political figures remain active on social media space and also respond to the comments and questions raised by the layman. This change has a profound role to revamp and overhaul democracy. Even in 2016, Eurdagon, the Turkish president invited his supporters through social media to counter a military coup and the world witnessed, how the popular acted as a bulwark against nondemocratic forces. So the inculcation of a direct relationship between the leadership and the supporters through technology has significantly improved democratic culture.

Last but not least, digital media keeps a close eye on the public representatives. Democracy is a system in which the government is accountable to the people and technology has improved this mechanism. Corruption or any other malpractice of politicians is exposed on social media in the form of videos or documents to create public pressure on the accused. A glaring instance of social media pressure can be seen in the tragedy of Manipur India. Owing to the pressure and criticism on social media Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took notice of the incident and directed the relevant authorities to take prompt action against the culprit. So it is righteous to claim that technology has improved public accountability which is the pre-requisite of a functioning democracy.

The holistic analysis of the intersection of democracy and technology, however, refuses the basic assumptions of optimists. First and foremost the exacerbation of polarization due to the technological medium shadows the presumption of social awareness. Technology has provided umpteen information, but the selective contents and the lack of critical thinking in public, have brewed ethnocentricism. People are split into different groups and they are not ready to accept the existence of others. The rise of Islamophobia in the West particularly in Europe which used to be a highly pluralistic region and the black moments in the United States are some of the illustrations of polarization sprowed by social media. Hence, technology makes democracy fragile by sparking ethnic divisions within society.

Secondly, the digitalization of the democratic process makes the system vulnerable it is easy for non-democratic forces to change or influence the electoral process. The misuse or hacking of the system provides enough space for the adversary to carry out their desired outcomes which was a cumbersome task in a traditional culture. Due to these concerns, most of the democratic states like the USA, Britain, and France have banned the use of EVM for the voting process. Technology not only possesses a thread of rigging but also augments skepticism, as the whole state relies on simple software that can be worn out at any time. The hopes of transparency and efficiency akin to digital democracy look like a mere daydream.

The direct interaction of political figures and laymen has brought about populism, globally. Technology has provided multiple mediums that are ubiquitous, effective, and also in everyone’s reach. The populist regimes are making the maximum out of them. If one claims that Erdogan has used social media to protect democracy in Turkey, in 2016, then the other side of the coin is that he is effectively using it to swap population, resulting in a democratic recession. Levittski and Ziblatt in their book “How Democracies Dies” pointed out myriad cases extending from the Americas to Brazil and India where democratic leaders had turned into elected autocrates. Most of these figures share a common trait- the misuse of technology to baffle the naive polity it underpins that technology has done more harm to democracy than its benefits.

Finally while exposing the corruption of politicians their private lives also become a part of the social discourse, which is unacceptable in any civilized society. Political opponents use social media platforms to undermine their rivals by sharing various unethical content, importantly most of them are fake. These tactics devalue both democratic norms and social values. The unfortunate and infamous saga of audio video leaks in Pakistan has exposed our moral abyss. These incidents on one side jeopardized the Islamic and oriental norms, and on the other side, it has polluted the democratic and political culture. It elucidates that rather than acting as a watchdog, technology has deteriorated the basic values and ideals of democracy.

To conclude, technology, the milieu of the modern age has overwhelmingly influenced the different domains of life, including democracy. Political parties and social institutions directly or indirectly rely on technological means to accomplish various political activities. The cahoot of technology and democracy, notwithstanding, produces a democratic dilemma by influencing peoples’ will and their social standings. In the broader context digitalization not only usurps the basic fundamental rights but also alters the socio-economic and strategic dynamics, subsequently subduing democratic ideals. Despite some support for the integration of technology in democratic processes, which is believed to enhance political participation and foster true democracy, the reality on the ground suggests otherwise. The decline in pluralism, and social harmony, and the rise in populism with the advent of digital democracy indicate that technology poses a threat to democracy rather than strengthening it.