Description

The ways in which the Internet is managed and controlled -often labeled as Internet Governance- are usually considered as standing on four main pillars: Technology, Market Laws, State Regulation and Uses. Nevertheless, its specific features, the consequences of the plurality of norms it involves and of the decision-making processes it entails are rarely addressed in a comprehensive analysis. This book explores the Internet’s functioning both as a practical-intellectual experience and a political challenge. By means of several case studies, it proposes a substantial and reflexive treatment of multileveled, formal or informal Internet Politics. The book’s overall endeavor is to outline an understanding of what is -or may be- a “digital common good”. The authors are members of a European academic team gathered by the Vox Internet research program’s meetings. They adopt a multi-disciplinary approach, embedding technological innovation in the field of social sciences (communication studies, sociology, law, political science and philosophy).