Digital Authoritarianism Beyond Borders: Democratic Backsliding in Southeast Asia

Abstract: This study examines the transnational spread of digital authoritarianism across Southeast Asia, where governments are increasingly adopting sophisticated digital tools to monitor, control, and manage public discourse. Through technologies such as mass surveillance, data-driven social monitoring, and internet censorship, digital authoritarianism allows regimes to strengthen internal security and suppress dissent. As governments in Southeast Asia incresingly introduce digital governance, they simultaneously create a methodological convenience for utilizing digital tools to advance authoritarian purposes, while justifying their legitimacy and asserting claims of sovereignty under the guise of cyber control. This paper first provides a nuanced analysis of the multifaceted manifestations of digital authoritarianism, highlighting online surveillance, censorship, disinformation campaigns, and ideological (re)shape, and illustrating how these practices align with and reinforce authoritarian traditions in the region. Secondly, while digital platforms can facilitate political participation and deliberation, this paper focuses on how they are increasingly used by governments to reconsolidate authoritarian control. By employing immediate tools for social regulation—ranging from tracking individuals’ online activities to controlling the flow of information—governments are able to undermine democratic processes. In turn, these practices have a chilling effect on civic engagement, diminishing the public space for opposition and critical discussion. Ultimately, this paper argues that these trends pose a significant threat to democracy and democratization in Southeast Asia, highlighting the risks of further democratic backsliding in the region.