CYBER-ACTIVISM, FREE SPEECH AND PRIVACY IN THE DIGITAL ERA.

An analysis of free speech, social media, cyber-activism and cyber democracy, privacy and state agencies ‘technologies of control’, that influence political, social and economic advancement.

This book explores the nexus between emerging communications technologies and social media platforms, the internet ecosystem, cyber-activists and the benefits and disadvantages of free speech. Attention is elucidated on cyber democratic practices within the digital ‘public sphere’. Additional clarification illustrates pertinent issues concerning privacy and reputation management for cyber actors operating within the internet ecosystem. Significant attention examines state agencies increasing reliance on ‘technologies of control’ and repressive state apparatus’ as forms of surveillance and social control. Through the explication of two areas of recent debate; the Australian Crime Commission’s ‘Organised crime and drugs in sport’ report and the Victorian Office of Police Integrity’s repressive electronic surveillance, ‘abuse of power’ scandals, the perspectives of cyber-activists, civil libertarian, privacy and human rights advocates are investigated. Resulting in the stance, that state agencies should not maintain so much power and knowledge over their citizens. This book concludes with a discussion on the political, social and economic implications concerning the debilitating effects that state agencies create through the utilisation of instruments of surveillance on its citizens. Further focus highlights the wide raging negative consequences that the former Labor government's proposed repression of free speech legislation within Australia would have introduced.