Evaluating the Efficacy of Online Activism

The Internet has become central to global communications and media. The laws and norms that govern the Internet have significant impact on the ability of the medium to support a just and democratic society. However if such laws and norms are not in the public interest but rather serve the interests of those already in positions of privilege and power this is likely to undermine the ability of the Internet to support democratic society and transform the medium into a tool of oppression. This book explores how activism is shaping laws and norms relating to the issues of privacy and transparency network neutrality and copyrights in an online environment. Early chapters provide an overview of the importance of these issues for a democratic online environment. Later chapters explores how a broad range of actions which could be classified as “activism” attempt to shape or have shaped these issues. This book demonstrates that activism is essential for maintaining an Internet capable of supporting democratic interests but at the same time there are also powerful forces shaping these issues in ways not compatible with public and democratic interests.