2.4 Power in Digital Society - Key Concepts

2.4A: Power as Influence in Digital Society

• Platform governance: How digital society services control user behaviour

• Algorithmic influence: Automated systems shaping choices in digital society

• Network effects: How connectivity amplifies power in digital society

• Digital persuasion: Techniques to influence users in digital society spaces

• Attention economy: Control over user focus in digital society platforms

• Digital social capital: Relationship resources conferring power in digital society

• Information gatekeeping: Control over content distribution in digital society

2.4B: Structural Power in Digital Society

• Digital infrastructure: Physical and logical systems underpinning digital society

• Code as law: How software architecture regulates digital society

• Platform capitalism: Economic structures shaping digital society

• Digital governance frameworks: Rules and policies managing digital society

• Technocratic institutions: Technical organisations wielding power in digital society

• Digital sovereignty: Nation-state control over digital society boundaries

• Standards bodies: Organisations defining technical rules for digital society

2.4C: Power Inequalities in Digital Society

• Digital divide: Unequal access to technology in digital society

• Algorithmic bias: Systematic discrimination in digital society systems

• Digital colonialism: Dominant nations controlling digital society resources

• Data asymmetries: Unequal information access in digital society

• Digital labour exploitation: Unfair value extraction in digital society

• Technological dependency: Reliance relationships in digital society

• Digital marginalisation: Exclusion of vulnerable groups from digital society

Theories and Frameworks

Major Power Perspectives in Digital Society

• Digital realism: Power through technological dominance in digital society

• Cyber liberalism: Freedom and cooperation in digital society structures

• Critical digital theory: Examining power imbalances in digital society

• Digital relativism: Contextual understandings of digital society norms

• Digital universalism: Common standards across digital society contexts

• Digital anarchism: Resistance to centralised control in digital society

• Digital libertarianism: Minimal governance in digital society environments

Power/Knowledge Frameworks in Digital Society

• Digital surveillance: Observation as control in digital society

• Dataveillance: Information collection enabling power in digital society

• Digital panopticon: Self-regulation through potential monitoring in digital society

• Algorithmic knowledge production: How AI systems create truth in digital society

• Digital epistemic communities: Shared understanding in digital society groups

• Information warfare: Strategic use of data in digital society conflicts

• Digital misinformation: Power through manipulation of truth in digital society

Social Control and Hegemonic Power in Digital Society

• Digital soft power: Cultural and ideological influence in digital society

• Digital hard power: Force and coercion in digital society contexts

• Smart power: Combined approach to influence in digital society

• Cultural hegemony: Dominant narratives in digital society platforms

• Digital consent manufacturing: Shaping public opinion in digital society

• Digital resistance: Counter-power movements in digital society

• Networked social movements: Collective action in digital society

Key Thinkers

• Michel Foucault: Power/knowledge applications to digital society surveillance

• Manuel Castells: Network power in information age digital society

• Shoshana Zuboff: Surveillance capitalism in digital society

• Joseph Nye: Soft power concepts applied to digital society

• Antonio Gramsci: Hegemony theory relevant to digital society platforms

• Nick Couldry: Media power in digital society contexts

• Yochai Benkler: Networked information economy in digital society

• Saskia Sassen: Global digital networks and sovereignty in digital society

• Lawrence Lessig: Code as regulation in digital society

• Evgeny Morozov: Techno-solutionism critique in digital society

• Safiya Noble: Algorithmic oppression in digital society search engines

• Frank Pasquale: Black box society and opacity in digital society systems

• Virginia Eubanks: Automated inequality in digital society

• Zeynep Tufekci: Digital movements and protest in digital society

• Julie Cohen: Networked self and regulatory challenges in digital society

Digital Technology Examples

Power Structures in Digital Society

• Digital platform oligopolies: Amazon, Google, Meta shaping digital society

• Cloud infrastructure dominance: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud controlling digital society backbone

• Operating system control: Windows, iOS, Android determining digital society access

• Internet governance bodies: ICANN, IETF, W3C establishing digital society rules

• Global app stores: Controlling software distribution in digital society

• Semiconductor manufacturing: Hardware power concentration in digital society

• Data centre geography: Physical location of digital society infrastructure

Power Technologies in Digital Society

• Content moderation systems: Controlling speech in digital society

• Recommendation algorithms: Directing attention in digital society

• Digital payment infrastructures: Financial control in digital society

• Digital identity systems: Authentication power in digital society

• Facial recognition networks: Surveillance capabilities in digital society

• End-to-end encryption: Privacy protection in digital society

• Deep packet inspection: Network monitoring in digital society

Power Manifestations in Digital Society

• Digital censorship: Information control in digital society

• Internet shutdowns: Access denial in digital society contexts

• Digital propaganda campaigns: Strategic influence in digital society

• State-sponsored hacking: Offensive cyber operations in digital society

• Algorithmic content filtering: Hidden control in digital society platforms

• Data extraction models: Economic power through information in digital society

• Digital currency control: Financial power in digital society economies

Questions for Further Exploration

1. How does algorithmic decision-making redistribute power in digital society?

2. In what ways do digital platforms challenge or reinforce traditional state power in digital society?

3. How do resistance movements leverage digital society tools against established powers?

4. What ethical frameworks should guide power relationships in digital society?

5. How might decentralised technologies reshape power structures in future digital society?