The internet allows anyone with access to view, create, and
spread information. However, people and governments can use that
information either for ‘good’ or ‘not so good’ purposes. The spread of
information and growing communication over the internet can promote
democracy, but it can also be used for repression. One thing that is
certain is that its importance in society and politics will continue to
grow. US Senator Ted Stevens called the internet just a “series of
tubes”. There are now 2.08 billion people on the internet; searching on
Google & Yahoo; forming social networks on Facebook and MySpace;
sharing videos on YouTube; tweeting on Twitter; shopping on EBay and
Amazon; playing online games; and accessing news from around the world.
The debate on whether the internet contributes to democratization was in
part triggered by statistical research that indicates a strong
correlation between levels of internet penetration and degrees of
democracy, which proponents have argued shows that the internet can
contribute to democratization 1. Opponents claim this is just a result of the fact that developed regions make up for over half of internet use 2.
Russia and China, important members of the UN security council, are
still not liberal democracies. In the wake of the Arab Spring and
successful revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, the role of the internet in
protest and grassroots movements for democratic reform has become more
evident. A parallel debate also runs as to what type of democracy the
internet might encourage; this, however, is not included in the scope of
this debate. The aim of each side in the debate must, therefore, be to
prove the effects of the internet in the majority of cases, rather than
arguing about a few ‘bunker’ states such as North Korea, which restrict
freedoms across the board.
1. Richard E. Sclove. “Cybersobriety: how a commercially driven
internet threatens the foundations of democratic self-governance and
what to do about it.” Community Practice in the network society:
local action/global interaction. Day, Paul and Schuler, Douglas.
Routledge. London. 2004.
2. Internet World Stats. “Internet Usage in Africa", 2011
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