Alesia Rudnik

My research lies at the intersection of political science, media studies, and science and technology studies. I defended my PhD thesis, “Machinery of Dissent: People and Technology in Political Protests in Autocracies”, in September 2025.

I am currently working on the project “Negotiating Digital Power: Big Tech, States & Citizens in Democratic versus Autocratic Contexts”, funded by the Swedish Research Council. The project runs from January 2026 to December 2028 and is affiliated with Södertörn University, in close collaboration with Professor Anne Kaun and Mariëlle Wijermars, Associate Professor at Maastricht University.

The project aims to examine how Big Tech negotiates power and compliance with states and citizens in contrasting political contexts —specifically the EU versus Belarus and Russia. I also aim to identify and analyze the broader political implications and transnational effects of these negotiations.

It is guided by two core research questions:
1. How do states, citizens, and Big Tech negotiate rights and power within the informational space of the EU compared to Belarus and Russia?
2. What are the political implications and transnational effects of these negotiations over digital power?

The findings will contribute to understanding how these dynamics shape democratic backsliding and digitalization trends in both democratic and autocratic regulatory environments.