The South African Civil Society Information Service

Is the Internet an Effective Forum for Public Debate?
30 Oct 2008

Much has been said about the development of the Internet as an organic platform that has increased public debate. However, Alexander Cockburn argues that the Internet is not a public space. It is private commercial space, which means that any website can be pulled down by a corporate or government decision, at any time.

A lot of the stuff about the web is hype. But the core thing, if you are talking about politics and power, is that it's resolutely private, contends Cockburn.

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You can find this page online at http://sacsis.org.za/site/article/75.19.