The Penchant for Technology in Non-Democratic Elections: Evidence From Hong Kong's Digital Authoritarianism

Abstract

To complement the emergent inquiry into the threats and opportunities that new technologies pose to political institutions and behavior, this study draws on the emergent scholarly literature on Digital Authoritarianism to shed light on the factors leading to Hong Kong's newly acquired penchant for adopting the digital and information technologies to bring about effective social control in general and the adoption of such tools throughout the course of three electoral cycles that are neither free nor fair. Tracking through the drivers for technological innovations, as exemplified by the patterns of law enforcement, policy papers, budgetary provisions, and judicial rulings over the past 5 years, we argue that as the regime has become increasingly capable of devising new modes of pre-emptive intimidation and by extension, more targeted forms of surveillance, its technological optimism is paradoxically met with a serious deficit of trust in the system of “patriots only” governance.