1. médialab Sciences Po
  2. News
  3. Feedback on the conference "The California Authoritarians"

Feedback on the conference "The California Authoritarians"

Check out the video of the conference ‘The California Authoritarians’ from last November, organized by the médialab and the CNRS Center for Internet and Society, presented by Fred Turner (Professor of Communication and Media History, Stanford University).

Post

On November 4, 2025, the médialab at Sciences Po and the CNRS Center for Internet and Society co-hosted an exceptional conference featuring Fred Turner.

On this occasion, Turner explored a central question: How did authoritarianism take hold in Silicon Valley?

Iframe https://player.vimeo.com/video/1138082901?badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479

The event was introduced by Sylvain Parasie, Professor of Sociology at Sciences Po and Director of the médialab, and Olivier Alexandre, Research Fellow at CNRS and Deputy Director of the Center for Internet and Society.  

Fred Turner traced the evolution of Californian techno-imaginaries, highlighting the continuities between the 1960s countercultural utopias, the founders of Wired magazine, and today’s technopolitical visions championed by Big Tech leaders. He examined the links between technological innovation, libertarianism, and authoritarianism, raising a key question: how can we resist these visions, both in the United States and in Europe? 

The presentation was followed by a panel discussion with three researchers: Dominique Cardon (médialab, Sciences Po), Jen Schradie (CRIS, Sciences Po), and Benjamin Loveluck (CERSA, Panthéon Assas), and concluded with an open Q&A session with the audience.

Many thanks to Fred Turner for his invaluable contribution, to our guests for their insightful perspectives, and to all participants!

Watch the full conference on the médialab’s Vimeo channel.