i'm joined now by ali funk a senior research analyst for technology and democracy and freedom house good to have you with us your freedom on the edge report states that the pandemic is fuelling digital repression worldwide how does that work. hi thank you so much for having me so freedom has found that 2020 was the 10th consecutive year of decline in internet freedom and this is that a time when i've been dimmick has really accelerated our reliance on digital technologies so what we found is that governments around the world have imposed broader share chance to expression and access to information political leaders are using the pandemic to scapegoat ethnic and religious groups since around favorable news and arrest critics so you know in at least $45.00 of the countries that we study we found that activists journalists and members of the public were arrested or charged with criminal offenses for their speech relating to the 19 and then we found the governments of at least $28.00 countries censored websites or social media posts to suppress unfavorable helston that mistakes and corruptio

i'm joined now by ali funk a senior research analyst for technology and democracy at freedom house good to have you with us your freedom on the edge report states that the pandemic is fuelling digital repression worldwide how does that work. hi thank you so much for having me so freedom has found that 2020 was the 10th consecutive year of decline in internet freedom and this is at a time when of in demand has really accelerated our reliance on digital technologies so what we found is that governments around the world have imposed broader share chance to express and access to information political leaders are using the pandemic to scapegoat ethnic and religious groups since around favorable news and arrest critics so you know in at least $45.00 of the countries that we studied we found that activists journalists and members of the public were arrested or charged with criminal offense as for their speech relating to the 19 and then we found the governments in at least $28.00 countries censored websites or social media post which is the press and favor girl hell sed that mistakes and corru

i'm joined now by ali funk a senior research analyst for technology and democracy at freedom house good to have you with us your freedom on the edge report states that the pandemic is fuelling digital repression worldwide how does that work. hi thank you so much for having me so freedom has found that 2020 was the 10th consecutive year of decline and internet freedom in this is that it time would have been dramatic has really accelerated our reliance on digital technologies so what we found is that governments around the world have imposed broader share chance to express and access to information political leaders are using the pandemic to scapegoat ethnic and religious groups since around favorable news and arrest critics so you know in at least $45.00 of the countries that we study we found that activists journalists and members of the public were arrested or charged with criminal offense as for their speech relating to the 19 and then we found the governments of at least $28.00 countries censored websites or social media posts to the press and favor girl health that mistakes and corr

i'm joined now by ali funk a senior research analyst for technology and democracy at freedom house goodto have you with us your freedom on the edge report states that the pandemic is fuelling digital repression worldwide how does that work. hi thank you so much for having me so freedom has found that 2020 was the 10th consecutive year of decline in internet freedom and this is that a time would have been dramatic has really accelerated our reliance on digital technologies so what we found is that governments around the world have imposed broader share chance to express and access to information political leaders are using the pandemic to scapegoat ethnic and religious groups sincere and favorable news and arrest critics so you know in at least $45.00 of the countries that we study we found that activists journalists and members of the public were arrested or charged with criminal offenses for their speech relating to the 19 and then we found the governments and at least $28.00 countries censored websites or social media posts to the press and favor hurl helston that mistakes and corrupt

i'm joined now by ali funk a senior research analyst for technology and democracy at the freedom house good to have you with us your freedom on the edge report states that the pandemic is fuelling digital repression worldwide how does that work. hi thank you so much for having me so freedom has found that 2020 was the 10th consecutive year of decline in internet freedom and this is that a time when i've been demick has really accelerated our reliance on digital technologies so what we found is that governments around the world have imposed broader share chance to express and access to information political leaders are using the pandemic to scapegoat ethnic and religious groups sensor and favorable news and arrest critics so you know in at least $45.00 of the countries that we study we found that activists journalists and members of the public were arrested or charged with criminal offense as for their speech relating to cover 19 and then we found the governments in at least $28.00 countries censored websites or social media posts to the press and favor hurl helston that mistakes and co

and i'm joined now by ali funk a senior research analyst for technology and democracy at freedom house good to have you with us your freedom on the edge report states that the pandemic is fuelling digital repression worldwide how does that work. hi thank you so much for having me so freedom house found that 2020 was the 10th consecutive year of decline in internet freedom and this is that a time when of in dimmick has really accelerated our reliance on digital technologies so what we found is that governments around the world have imposed broader share chance to expression and access to information political leaders are using the pandemic to scapegoat ethnic and religious groups since around favorable news and arrest critics so you know in at least $45.00 of the countries that we study we found that activists journalists and members of the public were arrested or charged with criminal offense says their speech relating to the 19 and then we found the governments of at least $28.00 countries censored websites or social media posts which is the press and favor hurl healthiest mistakes an

democracy is likely to continue long after the coronavirus is under control. all right let's bring in our guests in new york amy slip of wits is research manager at freedom house and co-author of the report democracy under lockdown in new delhi kavita krishnan is secretary of the all india progressive women's association and author of fearless freedom and in kiev eve our dollar is senior policy adviser at norwegian helsinki committee welcome to the program amy let me start with you this decline in democracy around the world that is being highlighted in your reporting this is something that started happening long before the code in 1000 pandemic correct that's right freedom house also produces an annual publication called freedom in the world and it looks at every country and its political rights and civil liberties so way it has found is that over the past 14 years global trade ads have been into crime that 19 is an exacerbation of this trend conveyed to report sites specifically the indian government as a government that is scapegoating marginalized groups the report talks about how india's muslims were labeled as super spreaders of covert 19 and subjected to a h

and has half a brain yet. to get together all. this time. i feel like the 2 party system is incredibly detrimental to the house of our democracy and complete freedom of all americans under attack regardless of race religion or creed. i see. anywhere where add an impossible point i've never i've been following politics as i was a child and now isn't saying like this has gotten to a point where people are so divided in their camps that they are more willing to believe insanity about say tannic reptilian pedophiles with a mood base than they are to like try to compromise when they try to listen to their opponents and white understand where other people are coming from. as the us economy was booming growing numbers of people were made homeless. you can work 40 hours in a week and still not have enough to get housing everybody believes america still is the land of opportunity the reality of it is that we're not financially equality and the lack of affordable housing or living minimum wage give many people new choice. that's been a problem with the city knows turn the temperature in the cold or stay way out a little bit. before that there is no answer.

and i voted for him. i feel like the 2 party system is incredibly detrimental to the house of our democracy. freedom of all american summer attack regardless of race religion or creed illegal we're at we're at an impossible point people are so divided in their camps that they're more willing to believe in santa about same tannic reptilian pedophiles with a movies and then they are true i try to compromise when they try to listen to their opponents and might understand where other people are coming from. both sides . but. what is wrong with us as american citizens and i hate to be bought off by. her and we have a bombastic win by and a bumbling fool like in the way. she can handle it. she and i divorced because. of the what the president and i voted for and she couldn't stand for that i would poorest so republican i would do for anyone who is not evil and has half a brain will defeat don't try to. move the future. we've listed a months to go before the next presidential election how is the atmosphere in the us now one of the highest priority problems how will they vote what should they do next just s