Freedom of expression, the double-edged sword

This thesis explores how freedom of expression, traditionally a cornerstone of Western democracies, is increasingly instrumentalized by politicians and corporations for their own interests. By analyzing samples and research on how political figures generate engagement, the thesis examines how algorithms, social media, and tech companies enforce surveillance capitalism to strengthen the cycle of control over people. The findings highlight how this dynamic undermines healthy public debate and reshapes political discourse, offering a critical perspective on the future of free speech in the digital age. As for this paper, it is not only intended to study political figures only, corporations from the tech world will also be analyzed through cases in the past in which they have as well damaged or attempted to vulnerate people’s rights of expression and privacy in order to answer the research’s question How has freedom of expression been instrumentalized with measures that undermine Western liberal values and societies?. Qualitative methods of research are used in this work, samples taken from social media, media reports and academic journals (and papers) will be used to strengthen the argument presented.