The Digital Republic

May 1, 2022

Susskind (Future Politics: Living Together in a World Transformed by Tech) analyzes how the populace in the EU and U.S. might properly govern digital technology (DI) to check its unaccountable power and reclaim its promise as a tonic for freedom and representative popular governance. Fundamental to Susskind's half-dozen major proposals is what he dubs "digital republicanism" as a way of thinking about power and freedom to oppose domination by one group, such as DI, and to counter what he calls "market individualism" that advocates the least constrained pursuit of individual self-interest. Exposing the sham of industry self-regulation, he calls for public controls to impose a code of conduct, duties and standards on DI platforms to protect user rights and advance what he considers basic institutions and values a functioning free society requires. While urging U.S. and EU readers to understand we can do better than leave people to fend for themselves against corporate power, Susskind recognizes formidable challenges to governing digital technologies in a world where the digital is political. VERDICT Susskind provides historical background and philosophical underpinnings for a robust but admitted patchwork of efforts to get past political gridlock and on to adapting to the needs of the unfolding century.--Thomas J. Davis

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June 1, 2022
A British attorney makes a thoughtful case for regulated digital media. The central problem of the modern internet, writes Susskind, is its "unaccountable power." Whereas in the earliest days of cyberspace, power was largely wielded by libertarian-inclined technologists who knew how to code, today it's in the hands of corporations and wealthy individuals who resist being regulated and tend to a kind of "market individualism." As the author writes, "unlike in medicine, there are no mandatory ethical qualifications for working as a software engineer or technology executive. There is no enforceable industry code of conduct. There is no obligatory certification. There is no duty to put the public ahead of profit. There are few consequences for serious moral failings; no real fear of being suspended or struck off." Susskind suggests the development of a code, even a body of law, that protects individuals from depredation and manipulation while at the same time calling for "as little state intrusion as possible." The author takes a cautious, reasoned approach to the attendant problems, noting, for example, that "the simplest form of platform power is the ability to say no." While he reckons that Trump had it coming when he was banned from Twitter, the hammer could also come down on anyone who displeases an administrator or owner--say, Elon Musk. The question of free expression and what constitutes transgressions against community standards looms large, beginning with "clearer policies, digestible summaries, standardised language," and the like, including standards specifying that media platforms employ one moderator for every 5,000 users instead of relying on dubious algorithms that too often mistakenly censor comments. Susskind's analysis of inadequate government is well presented, though those who currently control the internet are unlikely to yield power unless compelled to do so. The author closes with the hope that social media platforms will recognize that regulation will lead to greater public trust in them. Students of communication law will find much to ponder--and argue--in these pages.

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