Does the rise of cheap mass-communication pose a threat to state leaders?
In the last decade, the world has witnessed very high telecommunications investments in almost every country. More than half of these investments in 2004 were made outside of the OECD (ITU 2006: 9). Why is this happening? Universal demand, falling costs and a profitable, competitive market appear to be the driving forces behind this phenomenon. At the same time, governments around the world seem to be inclined to let it happen, and often encourage investment in this sector. However, as often the case with new technology, there may be unintended consequences. It is commonly accepted that information and communication technologies (ICTs) have the ability to boost an economy by raising productivity. Less studied is their effect on civil society and what it may use these new technologies for. In the eyes of state leaders, particularly undemocratic ones, technologies with such a clear liberalizing potential as ICTs must inevitably be considered with caution. Download PDF (218KB) John West –
