Consent of the Networked:
The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom
by Rebecca MacKinnon
HM851 .M3327 2012
New Arrivals, 2nd floor
The Internet is often lauded as a revolutionary force that can only do good. The Information Superhighway only leads to positive outcomes, right? While we all have heard about the horror stories of the violent criminal activity that have resulted from online interactions, the more subversive issues of government censorship and corporate privacy violations slide under the media’s radar. This week’s featured title seeks to bring light to the virtual attack on our civil rights.
MacKinnon, a Schwartz Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation and founder of Global Voices, puts out a call to action to make sure that people stand up for their digital rights that they may currently be taking for granted. She takes on the companies and governments that are threatening to alter the online landscape for their own monetary and protective purposes. The author lays out the issues that surround the debate, the movement towards authoritarianism in the United States, the private sector and outsider influences, as well as what can be done as a responsible Netizen. If you’re looking for a book to learn about war over the Internet, especially after the SOPA and PIPA legislative discussions, this would be a great start.
