Tag Archives: big data

Digital Platforms & Democratic Governance: Standing at an Historic Crossroads

As I explain on the bio page of this blog, I believe: [T]he human race is, in fact, in a race. Not a race against other humans (though it sometimes seems that way), but rather a race against time, and … Continue reading

Posted in Communication Policy, Next Generation Internet, Political Reform, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Facebook F-Up as a Wake-Up Call

As I write this, Facebook is facing what is likely the most intense crisis of confidence in its roughly 14 years of existence.  While obviously important for the company, this development also raises broad and increasingly urgent questions about the … Continue reading

Posted in Communication Policy, Next Generation Internet, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Serving Users (to Advertisers to Benefit Shareholders)

In its early years, a key driver of Facebook’s approach to growth was to “move fast and break things” in pursuit of “domination.” This growth strategy has been reflected in Facebook’s approach to protecting users’ personal data–which may have violated a 2011 FTC consent decree. One … Continue reading

Posted in Communication Policy, Next Generation Internet, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Data as Power: Approaches to Righting the Balance

Not surprisingly, revelations about the unauthorized release of personal data on 87 million Facebook users to a firm using the data to design and target manipulative political messages has triggered an upsurge in concern about the adequacy of data privacy at … Continue reading

Posted in Communication Policy, Next Generation Internet, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Power of Dominant Platforms: It’s Not Just About “Bigness”

This post will focus mainly on an article by Brooklyn Law School professor K. Sabeel Rahman that examines the power of digital platforms in an historical context. Though I try to summarize key points and include excerpts from the article, entited The … Continue reading

Posted in Communication Policy, Next Generation Internet, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment