(delusion=a strong belief despite evidence to the contrary)
- Morosov in his book The Net Delusion argues that the cyber-utopian belief that the internet brings freedom and a democratising power is misguided.
- Instead he suggests that the democratising power of new media will equally empower authoritarian governments.
- “The change is not always positive..yes, social media are affecting the world. But it looks like the other side – the authoritarian governments – are getting empowered as well.”
- Morosov discusses the 2009 Iranian presidential elections. He argues that the west’s promotion of online tools a pro-democratic agents provoked authoritarian regimes to crack down on online activity. Not only have they blocked websites but they use social networking sites to infiltrate protest groups and track down protestors. They also put their own propaganda online.
- After the failed uprising in Iran, the government hunted down dissidents online, tracking them through their emails and using face-recognition technology to identify people from pictures taken on mobile phones.
- Morosov argues that most people tend to use the internet for entertainment and personal validation rather than a tool to bring about change. The internet is breeding a generation of ‘slacktivists’ who think they are being political by clicking on a Facebook petition.