Y490 Politics of the Y490 Politics of the InternetInternetSeptember 6, 2011September 6, 2011

Three ways of defining Three ways of defining the Internetthe Internet

Technical: network of networksTechnical: network of networks Comparative: the Internet as an example Comparative: the Internet as an example

of network infrastructure (e.g. railroad, of network infrastructure (e.g. railroad, telegraph, telephone, radio, TV, etc.)telegraph, telephone, radio, TV, etc.)

Social: the people that create Social: the people that create communities on the networkcommunities on the network

Source: adapted from Chadwick, pp. 3-4.

Variance in Network Variance in Network InfrastructuresInfrastructures

Degree of centralized controlDegree of centralized control Public vs. private ownershipPublic vs. private ownership Degree of interactivityDegree of interactivity One-to-one (telephones), one-to-many One-to-one (telephones), one-to-many

(broadcasting), many-to-one, many-to-(broadcasting), many-to-one, many-to-many (Facebook?) communicationmany (Facebook?) communication

Role of user-created contentRole of user-created content

Definitions of PowerDefinitions of Power

Capabilities-based powerCapabilities-based power Relational powerRelational power Structural powerStructural power

Capabilities-based powerCapabilities-based power

Examples of types of capabilitiesExamples of types of capabilities SizeSize WealthWealth Informational advantagesInformational advantages

Assumption that capabilities can be Assumption that capabilities can be converted into actual power (over others)converted into actual power (over others)

If x has more capabilities than y, then x is If x has more capabilities than y, then x is more powerful than y.more powerful than y.

Relational powerRelational power

Definition: A has power over B if A can Definition: A has power over B if A can get B to act against his/her preferences get B to act against his/her preferences but according to A’s preferences.but according to A’s preferences.

Relational power can be coercive or non-Relational power can be coercive or non-coercive.coercive.

If A can persuade B to change his/her If A can persuade B to change his/her preferences to be more like A’s, then A preferences to be more like A’s, then A has influenced B without using coercion.has influenced B without using coercion.

Structural PowerStructural Power

Definition: the ability to control outcomes Definition: the ability to control outcomes that derives from the ability to shape the that derives from the ability to shape the rules of the system.rules of the system.

Example: the ability of the health Example: the ability of the health insurance companies to prevent the insurance companies to prevent the adoption of healthcare reform that goes adoption of healthcare reform that goes against their interests.against their interests.

Questions for Us

How does the diffusion of information and communications technologies (ICTs) affect the distribution of power? And vice versa?

Who are the winners and losers? Can the losers catch up or be

compensated for their losses? How can the winners be prevented from

becoming too powerful?

Concepts discussed by Concepts discussed by Chadwick in Chapter 2Chadwick in Chapter 2

Technological determinism vs. Social Technological determinism vs. Social shaping of technologyshaping of technology

Decentralization/DisintermediationDecentralization/Disintermediation Participation/Apathy in PoliticsParticipation/Apathy in Politics Community building vs. Online echo Community building vs. Online echo

chamberschambers GlobalizationGlobalization

Technological Determinism

The view that technologies have an inherent character that cannot be altered or denied and that determine how they will be used and how they affect society

Examples of authors who believe this: Jacque Ellul, The Technological Society Tom Friedman, The World is Flat Raymond Kurzweil, The Singularity is Near

Social Shaping of Technology

Belief that society shapes technology rather than the reverse

Sometimes associated with the “Irvine School” (University of California, Irvine)

Authors include: Langdon Winner Bruno Latour Steven Woolgar Rob Kling

Code is LawCode is Law

Code includes Code includes software and software and hardware hardware (architecture)(architecture)

Determines what Determines what people can do with people can do with the Internetthe Internet

Four Themes in Code Four Themes in Code Version 2.0 by Larry LessigVersion 2.0 by Larry Lessig

Regulability (cyberspace can be regulated)Regulability (cyberspace can be regulated) Regulation by code (code itself becomes the Regulation by code (code itself becomes the

regulator)regulator) There are latent ambiguities in free speech There are latent ambiguities in free speech

rights, intellectual property rights, etc.rights, intellectual property rights, etc. Competing sovereigns (the law embodied in Competing sovereigns (the law embodied in

the Internet’s code competes with the law the Internet’s code competes with the law established by Congress, the bureaucracy, established by Congress, the bureaucracy, and the courts)and the courts)

John Perry Barlow’s Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace Former lyricist for the Grateful Dead

Essay written in response to the passage of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996)

“Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather.”

Anarchy vs. ControlAnarchy vs. Control

Cyberspace libertarian view:Cyberspace libertarian view: Government cannot regulate cyberspaceGovernment cannot regulate cyberspace Cyberspace is self-orderedCyberspace is self-ordered No government can survive without itNo government can survive without it The state will wither away as a resultThe state will wither away as a result

Lessig: architecture of the Internet is fully Lessig: architecture of the Internet is fully compatible with extensive regulation and compatible with extensive regulation and top-down controltop-down control

Examples of Control: Examples of Control: ChinaChina

Big mama monitors Big mama monitors Internet cafes and Internet cafes and web bulletin boardsweb bulletin boards

No anonymity of web No anonymity of web sites or email sites or email addressesaddresses

Public expressions of Public expressions of dissent via Internet dissent via Internet are strictly controlledare strictly controlled

Jingling and Chacha --Internet police in China

Disintermediation

One possible impact of the Internet is to permit the bypassing of intermediaries, allowing individuals direct access to people and institutions they care about.

Examples: Online trading vs. the use of stock brokers Web news vs. the purchase of newspapers Email vs. regular mail

Disintermediation and Re-intermediation

It is possible that old intermediaries are being replaced by new ones.

For example: Newspapers are replaced by blogs Record companies are replaced by iTunes Bookstores are replaced by Amazon and

other online book stores

Participation and Apathy in Democratic Political Systems

Some democratic systems, like the US system, have experienced a decline in political participation and a rise in political apathy

Can the diffusion of ICTs change this trend?

If so, would that be a good thing?

Online Echo Chambers

Idea put forward by Cass Sunstein in his book, Republic.com

He argues that people tend to seek out views that are compatible with their own and that the Internet allows them to do this more than the early news media (newspapers and TV)

Globalization

The Internet “builds upon the effects of previously new technologies—mass air transport or television are good examples.”

The inherently global nature of the Internet makes it unlike those earlier technologies.

Source: Chadwick, p. 27.