Consent of the Networked

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The Internet was expected to liberate us, but it has often failed to do so. While there are instances where the web has empowered movements like the Arab Spring, numerous stories reveal the erosion of civil liberties through digital technologies that we rely on. For instance, changes in Facebook’s privacy settings have compromised the identities of protestors in countries like Egypt and Iran, while Apple has removed controversial apps under government pressure. Many Western companies sell surveillance tools to authoritarian regimes, and Google faces censorship demands from various governments, raising concerns about user data collection. Journalist and Internet policy expert Rebecca MacKinnon emphasizes the need to defend our rights before they are compromised by corporate and governmental actions. Daily, decisions made by corporate entities in cyberspace impact our freedoms without our consent. Traditional solutions like government regulation are inadequate and can sometimes exacerbate the problem. This work serves as a call to action, urging a shift from debating whether the Internet empowers individuals to addressing how technology governance can uphold the rights and liberties of users globally.