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Democracy in Social Networks?

This blog post explores the role of social networking platforms in fostering democracy, discussing the value of user contributions, concerns of unjust exploitation, the possibility of regulation, and the potential for democratic governance within these networks.

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Democracy in Social Networks?

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  1. Democracy in Social Networks? Ralf Bendrath bendrath.blogspot.com

  2. Social Networking Platforms • provide a space where • people meet • people create content • people collaborate • public as well as personal spaces • individual identities & roles • public discussions and collaborations • live off the users‘ contributions

  3. Users and Providers • Users provide the real value of any social networking site • Users are the network • Providers provide the infrastructure. • We don‘t really care who they are, we care about our friends. • We are brand agnostic.

  4. The provider as government „The only time one interacts with Facebook as entity is when they are being controlled or punished. Facebook as brand represents surveillance and domination.“ (Fred Stutzman)

  5. A Pretty Mighty Government • Can kill us if we don’t use our real names • Surveillance bots that track us • Secret master key to our locked houses • Laws of the land can not be negotiated • We don‘t get any share from the revenue • But we can be sold instead!

  6. Growing Unease • Feeling of unjust exploitation • StudiVZ deal: „Where are my 100 €?“ • More private profiles • Decreases the value of the platform as a whole • Protests against changes in TOS • Less or false data provided

  7. Pressure from below? • „Exit“ • just move somewhere else • basis of competition • „market“ behaviour • „Voice“ • start internal and external debates • public pressure • But: no real power, mainly exit threat

  8. Exit? • Network Externalities • If a platform gets big enough, it becomes a network good • eBay, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, … • more or less forced to use it • I can‘t take away my data and my friends • data portability and its problems

  9. Regulation? • Standard for network goods • Regulatory Agencies • „Product“ Standards • Pretty normal for other products and services • Would ensure real exit option and strengthen competition

  10. Regulation? • Already there • „unfair and deceptive trade practices“ • privacy and data protection laws • Missing • user rights, e.g. freedom of expression • accessibility • universal service / unbundling  data portability

  11. Regulation? • Transnational Spaces • Who should regulate? • State of California, ITU, ICANN? • Who wants the Government of China involved here? • Who would organize the policy development process? • And where?

  12. Oh, we already have a Space! • It is only logical to debate the laws of the land for Facebook on Facebook. • And turn slaves into citizens. • This may just be happening…

  13. Democracy on Facebook? • New terms of use • „Rights and Responsibilities” • Charter of user rights • “Facebook Principles” • User input on drafts • Subject to Popular Vote • Binding (more or less) • Chris Kelly: „Constitutional Documents“

  14. Or Democracy Theater? • You have to join Facebook first • No comments on the overall process • Bad tools • No votes on other documents • FB retains the right to unilateral changes • Voting process defined and implemented by Facebook

  15. Source: Bonneau, Preibusch, Anderson, Clayton, Anderson (2009): Democracy Theatre: Comments on Facebook's Proposed Governance Scheme

  16. Or a good start? • Facebook unilateral changes • What happens when users want to overturn them and vote? • Voting on other documents • Users will demand this • Competitive factor • Will MySpace offer more voting options? • „Language of Democracy“ is contageous

  17. Ralf Bendrath 2009

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