The Internet, Warts and All

The Internet, Warts and All asks questions. Why are government digital policies so often out of touch and counter-productive? Why is surveillance law problematic and ineffective – and often defeated in court? Do companies like Google and Facebook really care about freedom of speech? Why are neither laws nor technology companies able to get to grips with trolling? Is ‘fake news’ something that can be ‘dealt with’? Can these issues be addressed more effectively, intelligently and appropriately in the future? To answer these questions, The Internet, Warts and All busts a number of myths and illusions about the internet – about the neutrality of algorithms, the permanence of information, the impact of surveillance, the nature of privacy and more. It shows how trolling and ‘fake news’ arise – and why current moves to deal with them are doomed to failure. It suggests a way forward – by embracing the unruly nature of the internet.

Author Biography

Paul Bernal is a Senior Lecturer in Information Technology, Intellectual Property and Media Law at the University of East Anglia and specialises in internet privacy and human rights. Originally a mathematician and then a chartered accountant before entering academia, his research areas include data privacy, surveillance, the right to be forgotten, freedom of speech, fake news, trolling and the role of social media. He is part of the Independent Digital Ethics Panel for Policing, and a prolific blogger.