experts
Steven Feldstein
Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

about

Steven Feldstein is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program. His research focuses on technology and politics, U.S. foreign policy, and the global context for democracy and human rights.
 
Feldstein is the author of The Rise of Digital Repression: How Technology is Reshaping Power, Politics, and Resistance (2021), which is the recipient of the 2023 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. He is currently writing a book about how technology is impacting global competition and war, under contract with St. Martin’s Press.
 
He has published research on digital technology’s impact on war, the role of artificial intelligence is reshaping repression, the geopolitics of technology, China’s advancing digital authoritarianism, and new patterns of internet shutdowns. He released a global AI surveillance index to track the proliferation of advanced digital tools and published a global inventory of commercial spyware and digital forensics.
 
Previously, he was the holder of the Frank and Bethine Church Chair of Public Affairs and an associate professor at Boise State University. He has served in multiple foreign policy positions in the U.S. government. He was a deputy assistant secretary in the democracy, human rights, and labor bureau in the U.S. Department of State under President Obama. Prior to that role, he served as the director of policy at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and also worked as counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations under Chairmen Joseph Biden and John Kerry.
 
He has authored numerous essays, articles, book chapters, policy reports, and commentary in major media outlets and policy journals. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Berkeley Law. He was born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana. His full CV can be found here.


education
JD, Berkeley School of Law, AB, Princeton University
languages
English, French

All work from Steven Feldstein

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113 Results
In The Media
in the media
SpaceX comes to NASA’s rescue

An explanation on why the space agency leaned on SpaceX to help bring them back home by next February.

· September 9, 2024
Marketplace
long-exposure night sky image of a white line of Starlink satellites
commentary
Why Catching Up to Starlink Is a Priority for Beijing

Its ambitions shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the geopolitical implications are worrying.

· September 3, 2024
In The Media
in the media
Telegram Founder to Face Court Over Platform’s Moderation Woes and Criminal Concerns

The arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov is controversial because it poses a threat to the free flow of information.

· August 25, 2024
Australian Broadcasting Company
In The Media
in the media
Thieves Are Using a Popular App to Sell Stolen Mail

Encryption and other security features have allowed those in countries with restrictions on free speech to communicate on the platform without fear of being exposed.


· May 8, 2024
Scripps News
article
Why Russia Has Been So Resilient to Western Export Controls

Three factors are helping to sustain Moscow’s military technology procurement efforts.

· March 11, 2024
In The Media
in the media
AI in War: Can Advanced Military Technologies Be Tamed Before It’s Too Late?

Liberal democracies can play a much greater role in setting norms and baseline conditions for the deployment of these powerful new technologies of war.

· January 11, 2024
The Bulletin
REQUIRED IMAGE
In the Media
How Global Demand for Military Drones is Transforming International Security and Geopolitics

Military use of drones is surging globally. This paper argues that regional powers, particularly Iran, Israel, and Türkiye, are driving the proliferation of military drone exports due to cost efficiencies, improved capabilities, and minimal export restrictions.

· December 6, 2023
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
event
New Digital Dilemmas: Resisting Autocrats, Navigating Geopolitics, Confronting Platforms
November 30, 2023

In their new pieces, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Digital Democracy Network experts consider the growing role of technology in politics and society with insight and analysis aimed at bridging the gap between local perspectives and global conversations.

  • +2
  • Mahsa Alimardani
  • Arindrajit Basu
  • Agustina Del Campo
  • Steven Feldstein
  • Iginio Gagliardone
research
New Digital Dilemmas: Resisting Autocrats, Navigating Geopolitics, Confronting Platforms

The Digital Democracy Network’s contributors offer global perspectives on digital repression trends, the role of tech platforms, digital sovereignty, and the impact of geopolitics and governance on technology.

· November 29, 2023
REQUIRED IMAGE
In the Media
The Consequences of Generative AI for Democracy, Governance and War

The potential impact of generative AI across politics, governance and war is enormous, and is the subject of considerable speculation informed by few hard facts.

· October 10, 2023
Global Politics and Strategy