We often hear about the internet as being a force for democracy, but what about a force for totalitarianism?
From Internet: Knowledge and Community
It has been a reoccurring theme in class discussions that the internet is a force which fosters democracy. While it is true that the internet has broken down traditional impediments to democracy like communication barriers it has also been used to stifle dissident viewpoints. Consider the case of Wikileaks in which Julian Assange has been banned from many networks including Apple's (which is ironic considering Apples ad campaign to "think different.") If the internet can be used to limit the range of viewpoints as has been the case with the response to Wikileaks, then it seems plausible to say that the internet is as useful to tyrants as it is activists. internet for totalitarians
