Governments’ use of technologies raises questions about extent to which these tools are being used to control citizens.
By Johan Steyn, 11 September 2024
Published by BusinessDay: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/columnists/2024-09-11-johan-steyn-democracy-at-risk--the-role-of-ai-and-surveillance-in-politics/
I often wonder what a sitting government’s main priority is. Is it truly to deliver on its election promises and serve all citizens?
Mostly, I suspect any government’s primary focus is on ensuring its own re-election. In this context, I can’t help but think about how artificial intelligence (AI) and surveillance technologies are being used by governments to monitor their citizens and manipulate public opinion in their favour.
The phrase “democracy is the engineering of consent” encapsulates this idea perfectly. This concept, articulated by Edward Bernays in his 1947 essay and later expanded in his 1955 book, describes how governments and corporations can shape public opinion through calculated strategies.
The use of AI and advanced surveillance technologies by governments raises serious questions about the extent to which these tools are being used not just to protect citizens, but also to manipulate and control them.
Edward Snowden’s 2013 revelations exposed the vast scale of government surveillance in the US, demonstrating how even democratic governments could engage in practices that closely resemble authoritarianism. In SA, these revelations have taken on new significance as the country grapples with the implications of its own expanding surveillance laws.
The Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act of 2002 (Rica) serves as the backbone of SA’s surveillance framework. While it was intended to regulate the interception of communications and ensure national security, Rica has been widely criticised for its inadequate safeguards that fail to protect citizens’ privacy.
The law allows for the interception of communications with minimal oversight, opening the door to potential abuses of power. Recent amendments to Rica have attempted to address these issues, but many argue that the changes do not go far enough in safeguarding individual rights.
Compounding these concerns is the introduction of the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill of 2023, which seeks to further expand the powers of SA’s intelligence agencies. This bill, which includes provisions for intercepting communications without a warrant, raises alarms about the balance between national security and personal liberties. It echoes the dangers highlighted by Snowden — that unchecked surveillance capabilities can easily be misused to suppress dissent and manipulate public opinion.
The increasing use of AI-driven surveillance technologies in SA adds another layer of complexity to these issues. While these technologies are often promoted as tools to enhance security, it carries risks, particularly for marginalised communities. There is concern that AI surveillance could reinforce existing inequalities, leading to what some have termed “digital apartheid”. Without robust safeguards, these technologies could be used to engineer consent, subtly shaping public opinion in ways that favour those in power, much like Bernays warned about decades ago.
In the end, the future of SA’s democracy may well depend on how the country manages the balance between security and the preservation of fundamental freedoms. If the government’s primary focus is indeed on re-election and maintaining control, as Bernays’ concept of engineering consent suggests, then the integrity of democracy itself could be at risk.
As we move further into the digital age, it is crucial that SA implements effective safeguards to prevent the misuse of surveillance technologies and to ensure that the rights of its citizens are protected.
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