Digital Surveillance Shifts Authoritarian Tactics: More Repression, Less Redistribution

When digital surveillance becomes available in dictatorships, it alters the balance between repression and co-option. This study proposes an informational theory of authoritarian control suggesting that enhanced monitoring helps identify radical opponents.

Data & Methods:

• Difference-in-differences design exploiting temporal variations in digital surveillance systems among Chinese counties

• Analysis of public security expenditure changes and political activism arrest rates

Key Findings:

Digital surveillance leads to increased repression through targeted arrests. However, it paradoxically reduces provision of public goods—a decline in universal redistribution.

Real-World Relevance:

These findings suggest that improved information monitoring by governments may worsen citizens' welfare under authoritarian regimes.