"Newsbombs" as a way to combat authoritarian propaganda?
Authoritarian regimes control the media and block internet access to unwanted web sites. This prevents citizens from gaining access to at least other viewpoints than the political propaganda. To combat this, would it be possible to go on public transport and open a free WiFi hotspot where people can download, say, Wikipedia and PDFs of the latest headlines of independent news outlets, ideally translated into the local language?
There is a much older, well-tested solution to this problem: a strong and just legal system that protects and enshrines unfettered public discussion as a fundamental right. Sure, there is tech that exists to promote the spread of whispers of news, but ultimately the goal is not to have to whisper about it.
Probably safer and more reliable to smuggle USBs with outside information like they did with North Korea
Wifi hotspot locations can be triangulated, so if the regime has penalties for sharing information they want to suppress, this could be a dangerous plan for a civilian within the regime to undertake.
Does anybody else recognize the contradiction of being on a thread that complains about some people not being exposed to enough different sources of information and then downvoting/killing WaxedChewbacca's comment merely because his interpretation of events differs with what their government told them?
This isn't an information problem: it's a mindset problem.
The only people who are resistant to authoritarian propaganda and misinformation are those who are going to question everything that they're told on all topics.