The Coronavirus Diaries - Allie Funk (Freedom House) on the impact of the coronavirus on basic freedoms and democracy across the globe

Allie Funk (Freedom House) warns that the coronavirus is already triggering a backslide on freedom, not just in authoritarian regime but also in open and democratic societies. In this interview, we discuss the use of the virus as a pretext to crack down on human rights for political purposes, the shrinking media environment, propaganda narratives and disinformation disseminate by authoritarian regimes. How can the lack of access to information worsen the public health crisis and how can some of the measures imposed by governments lead to a lasting global backslide in fundamental freedoms.

Allie Funk is a Research Analyst for Freedom on the Net, Freedom House’s annual assessment of internet freedom. She serves as an expert on human rights in the digital age, and focuses on developments in the United States and the Asia region. Her writing has been published in the Washington Post, WIRED, the Hill, the Diplomat, and Just Security, among others.