The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom

Опубликовано 8 сентября 2016, 17:13

Intuition suggests that easier access to information and communication tools will help people undermine authoritarian regimes. Though so far, no dictators have been toppled by emerging technology. Could it be that the dictators have turned the Web into a powerful tool of thwarting democratization? For instance, after the June 2009 rallies in Iran, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard posted photos of the most ardent protestors, asking pro-Ahmedinejad Iranians to help identify them; many were arrested. Other similar examples utilizing Google Maps in Russia and Japan can be pointed to. Are there some overlooked unfair advantages that the Internet bestows upon dictators? Is there something inherently liberating about the Internet or might it simply be another tool of propaganda and brainwashing in the arsenal of media-savvy dictators? Above all, if the Internet is not the catalyst of social change that we thought it would be, could it be the glue that prevents authoritarian regimes from falling apart?