Authoritarian nations are turning the internet into a weapon
&gt;&quot;But the extraordinary case draws attention to how dictatorships are increasingly using technology to crush online dissent.&quot;<p>Yes, authoritarian regimes control communication.  That&#x27;s been the case for over a century of radio and mass circulation dailies.  It&#x27;s nothing new.<p>What is new is that even democratic countries are controlling free speech via speech laws or often the private companies engaging in evaluating what&#x27;s permissible speech and not above and beyond what laws require.  To wit what comprises &quot;hate speech&quot;.  It&#x27;s basically come to mean &quot;point of view in disagreement with my group&#x27;s current position which may change in the future&quot;