Evgeny Morozov: How the Internet strengthens dictatorships

http://www.ted.com TED Fellow and journalist Evgeny Morozov punctures what he calls "iPod liberalism" -- the assumption that tech innovation always promotes freedom, democracy -- with chilling examples of ways the Internet helps oppressive regimes stifle dissent.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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[soundofgeek]

Online activism tends to be somewhat like prayer - 'doing something' without actually, like, doing something.

[mrlowdangle]

you have a problem with people with white skin?

dont blame all people with the same skin tone because of the actions of a few.. theres idiots and great people of all skin colours or 'races'

[TheRacistsMustDie]

Indeed he's not narrowing down the power of the internet; he's clarifying the internet's power works more difficult than is generally thought.

Moreover, the generalizations and simplifications he is depicting are the generalizations and simplifications of those who he brands cyber-utopians. Morozov himself actually constantly emphasizes the importance of context.

[riccosworld]

This guy is narrowing down the power of internet and he is talking about blogs as if they are all the same and talking about wikipedia as if that is the only source of available information, and he does apply the same simplistic approach about everything he says; just generalizing and narrowing down... I think he is just looking for publicity...some people are worried about internet and this guy could become their intellectual alibi to support restriction for the net. Horrible talk..

[riccosworld]

when you buy food the label should tell you everything about it...That's how internet should be too.. If you don't trust such a system ...then you cannot trust anything in life too.

But as citizen we should expect a net today restrictions free (apart for what concerns the use of it in relation to minors) and I would say even accessible for free in most of the public spaces ... clearly we have to keep our eyes opened, but you should keep your eyes opened even if internet didn't existed.

[riccosworld]

Enforcing dictatorship? This guy is taking it way too much far...

Governments are very worried about the internet because is new and it does spread information [very quickly - they cannot anymore hide things so easily...

Off course the same discussion is reflected on those who are actually trying to use it for deliberating important information... but the thing is must not have restriction but more information... like it is for agricultural products for example

[riccosworld]

This person just think that everybody else apart from him is dumb...

...Maybe to grow up in country with so many years of communist dictatorship distorted his vision about what freedom really is... I hope that in countries where they have restrictions in using internet they will soon get the freedom they deserve ... but off course is up to the individual to make a good and conscious use of the net... at the least now political power doesn't have anymore monopolio on information

[riccosworld]

Off course if you submit to a social web then you have to follow the policies of those who created that website...but this is common sense...I don't see how this person is arguing about internet almost considering that masses are just absorbed by it in sort of passive way... Television is passive and dangerous - internet is active(if you are clever enough, and therefore it can be very good and make a big difference).

[riccosworld]

I-Pod Liberalism? What is this guy talking about?

Who said that if you give people enough connectivity or devices, democracy well never fall? this guy should give references...

Internet is just a toll, is logical that economical power and political power fall into it as well, but the big difference with television, for example, is that if you are clever enough you can make money too! In other words you can make your own television if you have the will do it...

[Vanos Enigmaisland]

I agree but a different title would have been better

I´m looking for friends who have similar interests like me, the most important you can see in my Twitter profile.

Priorities change sometimes a little but the essential remains. (ideas worth spreading)

Follow me, I follow you back:

Twitter: @Enigmaisland

FaceBook: vanos.enigmaisland

[princeofexcess]

i am not disagreeing with you. All i was saying is that there is more "brainwashing" in nations that have dictatorship rather then in a societies without a absolute leader.

[princeofexcess]

could you rephrase what you are saying. I have a hard time understanding