Something has changed—the progressive spaces that used to be the biggest defenders of free speech and digital autonomy now frequently promote censorship and more government control.

NetworkAffects explores digital authoritarianism - privacy threats, bio-metric ID, surveillance, programmable currencies, and attacks on digital civil liberties and free expression from the ‘anti-disinformation’ and ‘fact-checking’ fields.

I have worked in human rights and technology for more than 25 years. For almost 18 years I lead EngageMedia, an Asia-Pacific digital rights, open and secure technology, and social issue documentary non-profit.

I am now CEO of liber-net, a digital civil liberties initiative.

I worked with Matt Taibbi on the #TwitterFiles and led the mapping of the Censorship-Industrial Complex for Racket News. I also helped coordinate the Westminster Declaration.

In a past life I was a fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society and Film Studies Center, and MIT’s Open Documentary Lab.

I am developing NetworkAffects to bring accountability and transparency to the captured ‘anti-disinformation’ and digital rights fields.

Please consider a paid subscription to support my work.

You can contact me at andrew.lowenthal@protonmail.com or @NAffects.