The video owner has disabled playback on external websites.
This video is no longer available on YouTube.
This video cannot be played right now.
Watch on YouTube
Unlock AI-Powered Learning Tools
Sign up to access powerful tools that help you learn faster from every video.
This Is What a Digital Coup Looks Like | Carole Cadwalladr | TED
Learning Stats
CEFR Level
Difficulty
Subtitles (304 segments)
I've been feeling a lot of panic and fear about this talk.
And not just for the normal reasons of public speaking,
although that's there, too.
But it's also because I want to say something meaningful,
and I've been overwhelmed by the enormity
of what is happening right now.
And there's a particular set of circumstances
which have also been feeding into my confusion and denial.
And that is because the last time that I stood on this stage,
it led to a three-year legal battle,
culminated in London's High Court,
in which it felt like I was on trial for my life,
because I was.
My career, my reputation, my finances,
even my home was on the line.
All because I came here
to warn you
that I didn't think democracy was going to survive the technology
that you're building,
however incredible it is.
In fact, I was the person who almost didn't survive,
and pretty much everything I was warning about is now coming true.
I can't sugarcoat it.
It's a bit of a headfuck.
(Laughter)
I have a lot of emotions about coming here.
And TED, also, I suspect, is feeling them too.
But what actually I finally realized yesterday
is that the denial and the confusion that I've been feeling
is maybe what you're feeling, too.
I felt powerless for a really long time.
So if that's what you're feeling, I get it.
But we have to act now.
My alarm system is ringing again.
There are things that we can do.
In my case, I survived.
And you will too.
But it's by learning how to fight back.
This is my guide,
and it has to start with naming it.
It's a coup.
I know you probably don't want to hear that, and especially here,
but we can’t fight it if we can’t see it.
And we can’t see it if we don’t name it.
(Applause)
The Russian and American presidents are now speaking the same words.
They are telling the same lies.
We are watching the collapse of the international order in real time.
And this is just the start.
Coups are like concrete.
When they stop moving, they set.
It is already later than we think.
This image, some of you in this room might know these people.
I call it tech bros in hostage situations.
It's a message to you.
This is Putin's playbook.
He allows a business elite to make untold riches
in exchange for absolute loyalty.
Some people are calling this oligarchy,
but it's actually bigger than that.
These are global platforms.
Full subtitles available in the video player
Practice with Exercises
Generate vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension exercises from this video
Comments (0)
Login to CommentSign up to unlock full features
Track progress, save vocabulary, and practice exercises
Interactive Mode
Quiz
Correct answer:
Related Videos
TED
Quiz
Correct answer:
Quizzes appear as you watch the video
Memory Tip
From this video
Start learning languages for free
