1. Media, Disinformation, and Layered Repression

This chapter takes a contemporary look at the interplay between disinformation and repression in a global context, examining how these practices are employed by authoritarian and liberal democratic regimes to stifle dissent, manipulate electoral outcomes, and influence political participation. I argue that disinformation can be used as a strategy of political control in each of the “layers of political control” introduced by Earl and Braith­waite (2022). I begin by discussing the information environment and key differences in how information environments are structured in authoritarian and liberal democratic regimes. Then, I explore the role of disinformation relative to the layers of political repression, highlighting examples of how disinformation is used and for what ends. I conclude the chapter with a brief discussion about the implications of AI for disinformation and layered repression.