From The San Francisco Chronicle
Internet can be a big benefit for democracy
By Jim Dempsey, Deirdre K. Mulligan
We see evidence of the Internet's revolutionary impact in spheres ranging from commerce to entertainment to the way we now stay in touch with friends. The Fourth of July invites particular consideration of the Internet's impact on democracy.
Moreover, it calls for a deeper understanding of the sources and conditions of the Internet's influence: What is unique about the Internet? From what technical and policy choices does its power derive? And, most urgently, what must be done to maximize its potential to support democracy at home and abroad?...
Valid criticisms of the Internet abound. Sometimes it seems more like Bedlam than Independence Hall. The Internet's cult of the amateur threatens to drown out sources of insight and knowledge, such as this and other newspapers. Social systems for verifying information online are still emerging.
Yet, taking stock on this July Fourth, it is clear that people around the globe have found in the Internet a powerful force for democratic ideals and action.
Our nation's founders provided a durable framework for democracy and an inspiration to the world. Two hundred years later, the technical and policy architecture of the Internet can serve democracy as much as the concepts of limited government and separation of powers still do. Just as preserving democracy demands vigilant participation, so too we must actively engage in shaping the technical and legal code of the Internet.
Deirdre K. Mulligan is a faculty director at the UC Berkeley School of Law's Center for Law and Technology, a professor at the School of Information, and a board member of the Center for Democracy & Technology; her current research focuses on information privacy, cybersecurity and surveillance.