A fascinating talk from Evgeny Morozov at TED in which he attacks what he calls iPod liberalism – the assumption that technical communications innovation always promotes freedom and democracy, referencing several instances where the Internet has helped oppressive regimes stifle dissent.

And while I think he makes some interesting points about network control and the limits of techno utopianism, I can’t say I agree with his conclusion that the Internet is ultimately a force for repression. In fact, there have been two notable examples in the UK this week where pressure from communities on both Facebook and Twitter have held large organisations to account for their words and deeds. And while in countries like Iran and China the state still maintains some control over communications technolgies, it’s very hard to imagine that this will persist. Indeed it seems more persuasive to me that the challenges to totalitarian regimes have been directly inspired by communications technologies.

Of course, technology is morally neutral, and for every postive humanitarian action, there is someone setting up a hate site, and it’s true that there remains the potential for Governments to abuse their powers, and spy on their citizens. However, the underlying technical architecture of the Internet, along with the political views of many of the pioneers running influential bodies like the IETF and the Internet Society means that it will in my opinion remain a democratising force rather than a totalitarian one.

related posts

1. Growth of the Internet
2. African Internet capacity
3. How to run an SMS campaign: an introduction