During the last two decades, a revolution of the Internet has been witnessed, leading to significant changes in our society. These changes, especially regarding availability and dissemination of information, are well comparable to Johannes von Gutenberg’s invention of the letterpress in the fifteenth century. The governance and maintenance of the Internet asks for considerable efforts by powerful state actors, notably the United States of America. However, the degree of Internet-usage is marked by a power-shift from state to non-state actors. Regarding this issue, during an IBEI-lecture about “Communication and Education in International Relations”, César de Prado used the term ‘Transnational Cyber Power Diffusion’ (De Prado, 2013), inspired by Joseph Nye’s (2010) concept of ‘Cyber Power’.
This paper seeks to explain who is in charge of Internet governance, how power within cyberspace is wielded, and what it may mean for future developments. In order to achieve this, the structure of this paper is fourfold. First of all, a short introduction is given, outlining the history of the Internet’s creation. Afterwards, the matter of Internet governance is dealt with, connecting it to several aspects of Joseph Nye’s Cyber Power concept. In a third step, a case study is presented, examining two relevant non-state actors, –Wikileaks and Anonymous–, aiming at systematically fitting them into context. Finally, the findings are summarized, analyzed and framed into an application of the concept of ‘Transnational Cyber Power Diffusion’.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: The creation of the Internet
2. Internet governance
3. Cyber Power and Internet Governance
4. Wikileaks, Cyber Power, and Internet Governance
5. Anonymous, Wikileaks, Cyber Power and Internet Governance
6. Transnational Cyber Power Diffusion
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This research paper examines the complex dynamics of Internet governance, exploring how power is wielded in cyberspace by state, non-state, and economic actors. The primary objective is to analyze the power-shift occurring from traditional state structures to non-state actors, framing these developments within the concept of 'Transnational Cyber Power Diffusion'.
- The historical development and governance structure of the Internet.
- The theoretical application of Joseph Nye's 'Cyber Power' concept.
- Case studies of non-state actors Wikileaks and Anonymous.
- The intersection of policy domains, technical domains, and cyber-tools.
- The evolving role of state actors in virtual diplomacy and digital regulation.
Excerpt from the book
Wikileaks, Cyber Power, and Internet Governance
Wikileaks was officially established by Julian Assange, an Australian computer programmer and activist, and by John Young, a “veteran of the scene” who registered the URLs “wikileaks.org, wikileaks.cn, and wikileaks.info” on October 4th 2006 (Rosenbach and Stark, 2011). From then on, Wikileaks served as a platform where politically charged documents could be uploaded and published anonymously. In a recent interview, Julian Assange postulated the un-changed aim of his centralized non-profit organization: “Every document, every record that the state has control over must be a public record” (laSexta, 2013). Controversial leaked material reached from the uncovering of corruption in Kenya (Rice, 2007), over classified video coverage from illegal killings in Afghanistan, called “Collateral Murder” video (Bumiller, 2010), up to a quarter of a million of highly classified diplomatic cables from the U.S. State Department, a leak later known as “Cablegate”(Welch, 2010). As a source of the latter two, US Military Private Bradley E. Manning was arrested and detained under questionable circumstances in May 2010 (Zetter and Poulsen, 2010).
Shortly after Manning’s detention, the United States Government restricted access to the Wikileaks website for all federal workers (MacAskill, 2010) and Wikileaks was cut off its donations because financial actors like Mastercard, VISA and PayPal deemed their reputation worth more than marginal profits (Greenberg, 2010). As a consequence, Wikileaks supporters started public campaigning, using the “Occupy Wall Street” movement as a forum (Dolly, 2011).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The creation of the Internet: Outlines the historical origins of the Internet as a military project and its subsequent development into a commercial global network.
2. Internet governance: Defines Internet governance through the perspective of the WGIG and distinguishes between the technical and policy domains of control.
3. Cyber Power and Internet Governance: Introduces Joseph Nye’s concept of 'Cyber Power' and discusses the shifting influence from policy-based governance to technical-based power.
4. Wikileaks, Cyber Power, and Internet Governance: Examines the activities of Wikileaks as a case study for non-state influence and its confrontation with state power.
5. Anonymous, Wikileaks, Cyber Power and Internet Governance: Analyzes the decentralized nature of the hacktivist collective Anonymous and its role in disrupting established governance norms.
6. Transnational Cyber Power Diffusion: Synthesizes the previous case studies into the framework of Transnational Cyber Power Diffusion to explain contemporary geopolitical conflicts.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes the instability of the current power 'triumvirate' and highlights the increasing trend of vertical power diffusion toward non-state actors.
Keywords
Internet Governance, Cyber Power, Transnational Cyber Power Diffusion, Wikileaks, Anonymous, ICANN, Hacktivism, Cyberspace, State Actors, Non-state Actors, Digital Diplomacy, Information Security, Infrastructure, Policy Domain, Technical Domain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper investigates the power dynamics within the governance of the Internet, specifically how authority is contested between state, non-state, and economic actors.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
Key themes include Internet governance structures, the theoretical framework of Cyber Power, and the impact of non-state actors on global information flow.
What is the main research question or objective?
The objective is to explain who controls the Internet, how power is exercised in cyberspace, and how this landscape is evolving due to 'Transnational Cyber Power Diffusion'.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses a qualitative analysis approach, combining historical context, political theory, and comparative case studies of prominent non-state actors.
What is discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body examines the history of the Internet, defines governance domains, applies Joseph Nye's Cyber Power theory, and analyzes the actions of Wikileaks and Anonymous.
Which keywords define the scope of the work?
The paper is centered on terms like Cyber Power, Internet Governance, Transnational Diffusion, and Hacktivism.
How does the author categorize the influence of Wikileaks?
The author categorizes Wikileaks' influence as an example of physical and virtual power usage that challenges state control, leading to retaliatory actions by governments and financial institutions.
Why is the concept of a 'triumvirate' used in the conclusion?
The author uses the 'triumvirate' metaphor to describe the unstable alliance between state, non-state, and economic actors in the governance of the Internet.
What is the significance of the distinction between the 'technical' and 'policy' domains?
This distinction is critical to understanding where power resides: the technical domain involves infrastructure and protocols, while the policy domain involves institutional regulation and decision-making.
- Quote paper
- Alexander Tutt (Author), 2013, Internet Governance, Cyber Power and Transnational Cyber Power Diffusion, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/275392
