The only legitimate purpose of government is to serve citizens, and ... the only legitimate purpose of technology is to improve our lives, not to manipulate or enslave us. Rebecca MacKinnon More Quotes by Rebecca MacKinnon More Quotes From Rebecca MacKinnon In modern politics, even the leader of the free world needs help from the sultan of Facebookistan. Rebecca MacKinnon leader world needs Microsoft, Yahoo and others are helping to institutionalize and legitimize the integration of censorship into the global IT business model. Rebecca MacKinnon censorship microsoft helping Increasingly, people have very little tolerance for anything that smacks of propaganda. Rebecca MacKinnon tolerance littles people I study how governments seek to stifle and control online dissent. Rebecca MacKinnon online government study Shibuya is a trendy part of Tokyo where young people come to meet and have a good time. Rebecca MacKinnon tokyo good-times people The Internet is an empowering force for people who are protesting against the abuse of power. Rebecca MacKinnon empowering abuse people The Patriot Act, passed overwhelmingly but hastily after 9/11, allows the FBI to obtain telecommunication, financial, and credit records without a court order. Rebecca MacKinnon credit records order Governance is a way of organizing, amplifying, and constraining power. Rebecca MacKinnon governance way We have to start thinking of ourselves as citizens of the Internet, not just passive users. I don’t see how we can bring about change in our digital lives if we don’t take responsibility. Rebecca MacKinnon citizens responsibility thinking We’re at a point in history that whether the Internet is going to evolve in a way that’s compatible with democracy and human rights is really kind of up in the air. Rebecca MacKinnon democracy rights air Each and every one of us has a vital part to play in building the kind of world in which government and technology serve the world's people and not the other way around. Rebecca MacKinnon technology government play India is not a place where Free Basics is going to be welcomed or work and (Facebook) might be better off thinking about another strategy to win over users in India. Rebecca MacKinnon company-news Facebook is blocked in mainland China, but is used heavily by the rest of the Chinese-speaking world, including Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Rebecca MacKinnon rest singapore china world Political activists in Hong Kong and Taiwan use Facebook as their primary tool to mobilize support for their causes and activities. Rebecca MacKinnon facebook hong-kong support political There is respect for law, and then there is complicity in lawlessness. Rebecca MacKinnon then complicity respect law Human freedom increasingly depends on who controls what we know and, therefore, how we understand our world. It depends on what information we are able to create and disseminate: what we can share, how we can share it, and with whom we can share it. Rebecca MacKinnon understand know freedom world The potential for the abuse of power through digital networks - upon which we the people now depend for nearly everything, including our politics - is one of the most insidious threats to democracy in the Internet age. Rebecca MacKinnon democracy politics power age Whatever Tencent can see, the Chinese government can see. Rebecca MacKinnon whatever see chinese government If high-tech companies are serious about doing the right thing, they can join together and lobby for more transparency and accountability in the way in which Chinese officialdom deals with Internet services. Rebecca MacKinnon internet serious together way Freedom only remains healthy if we think about the implications of what we do on a day-to-day basis. Rebecca MacKinnon only think healthy freedom
