Amnesty International has issued a comprehensive new report, “Ringing the Alarm Bells: Rising Authoritarian Practices and Erosion of Human Rights in the United States,” warning that the U.S. is on a dangerous trajectory toward authoritarianism. The report characterizes the executive actions and administrative measures taken throughout 2025 and early 2026 as a full-scale “human rights emergency” that mirrors patterns of democratic backsliding seen in countries such as Hungary, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
Human Rights Watch warns US heading to ‘authoritarianism’ – Americas – The Jakarta Post #jakpost https://t.co/UXRXHlsl4s pic.twitter.com/ZBiLnxAzWK
— The Jakarta Post (@jakpost) February 4, 2026
A Pattern of “Creeping Authoritarianism”
The human rights organization argues that the current administration is systematically weakening the rule of law by controlling information, punishing dissent, and narrowing civic space. Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard stated, “We are witnessing a creeping spread of authoritarian practices… all who believe in freedom and equality must steel ourselves to counter increasingly extreme attacks on international law and universal human rights.”
The 12 “Alarm Bells” of Democratic Backsliding
The report identifies 12 critical indicators signaling a shift away from democratic norms, including:
- Attacks on Press Freedom: Citing the conditioning of media access on “speech-chilling terms” and the mass resignation of Pentagon reporters refusing to waive First Amendment protections.
- Political Retaliation: The transformation of the FCC into an instrument of political censorship, including the defunding of NPR and PBS and the gutting of the US Agency for Global Media.
- Militarized Domestic Enforcement: The normalization of “paramilitary-style” immigration operations characterized by masked law enforcement, militarized raids, and large-scale detentions.
- Erosion of Due Process: Documentation of “enforced disappearances” and illegal expulsions facilitated by a disregard for legal oversight.
Shrinking Civic Space and Coercion
Amnesty International highlights a global pattern where governments criminalize human rights defenders, climate activists, and protesters. In the U.S., the report notes that universities and civil society organizations are being coerced into silencing dissent, while retaliation against whistleblowers, judges, and lawyers has been “normalized” to weaken the judicial system.
Turbocharged Surveillance and AI
The report warns that surveillance and AI tools have been “turbocharged,” enabling the targeting of marginalized populations—specifically Black and Brown communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and migrants—at an unprecedented speed. These technologies, the report argues, are being used to “scapegoat populations” and roll back non-discrimination protections.
REPORT: The U.S. is on the verge of launching a dystopian online surveillance machine—and disturbingly, Republicans are helping make it law.
The SCREEN Act and KOSA claim to protect kids, but they’re Trojan horses. If passed, every American adult would be forced to verify their… pic.twitter.com/GMSVLgbH5P
— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 5, 2025
Global Impact
Amnesty stresses that the erosion of rights in the United States is not an isolated event; it serves as a blueprint for authoritarian tactics abroad, encouraging other states to disregard international law and universal human rights standards.
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The report concludes that the foundational pillars of American democracy—freedom of expression, the press, and peaceful assembly—are under immediate threat, requiring urgent domestic and international attention to halt the backsliding.
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