The New Digital Divide

Marcia Stepanek, in her article "The New Digital Divide," discusses the changing nature of technological division from an issue of access to one of ideological polarization. She explains that major web services, including Google and Facebook, employ algorithms to tailor content based on a user's past activity. Stepanek describes how these data-personalization and self-aggregating functions display content that attempts to fit in with the individual's existing viewpoints, and neglect to include differing ideas. She mentions the case of Eli Pariser – a cofounder and former Executive Director of MoveOn.org – who "tried hard to add conservative friends to his own Facebook feed but their link and feeds [kept] getting blocked by Facebook's personalization algorithms." Stepanek, after detailing how data filtering is highly personalized, takes place unannounced, and is set by the computer not the user, dispels the myth that computer code is unbiased.

Stepanek addresses other issues of digital divisions on the Web. She points out that racial segregation takes place on the Internet, in common places like Twitter. Stepanek mentions that, rather than using social media as a tool for connecting with like-minded people, individuals could take advantage of it to solve problems. She acknowledges that in order to bring about social change, "we must work harder to break out of these self-imposed (or machine-imposed) comfort zones." Stepanek points out that certain conversations  are only possible because of social media, including Deanna Zandt's discussion of discrimination with others on Twitter, but they only occur when people step out of their bubble of familiarity. She suggests that lack of media education maintains the status quo, where "most people still don't know how to use this Web power to organize and affect social change." Concerned that many assume civic engagement will take place Online on its own, she cites James Fishkin, the director of the Center for Deliberative Democracy at Stanford University, who believes "the best way to boost public deliberation online is to create it." Fishkin formulated a five-step deliberative polling process to help foster civic engagement where it is needed as part of a structured system. Stepanek ends on a hopeful note that the Web is a potent force for civic engagement, particularly in places that have historically lacked public political involvement, where the Internet creates a public space that would otherwise not be possible in closed societies.

I can understand the motivation behind data personalization. It makes sense to show an individual content that is pertinent to them, but I find it a bit infuriating that this process goes on without notifying the user. I posted a comment about privacy policies in the United States versus Europe, but I think it's relevant to hash out the details here. In 1995, the European Union passed a directive regarding processing of personal data. This established mandatory guidelines for data processing whether it occurs automatically or not. Under these regulations, personal data cannot be handled unless it meets three conditions: transparency, legitimate purpose and proportionality. For example, achieving transparency involves several criteria, where the controller must relay the purpose of the data processing, outline who will receive the data, and obtain consent from the data subject among other steps. (Wiki article). Rather than clearly upholding the right to privacy like Europe, the U.S. has largely neglected protecting its citizens' rights to control information about themselves.

Also, Stepanek reveals a lot of serious social problems happening on the Internet, but I don't think it's enough to tell people they need to "work harder" to bring about change. Call me a cynic, but I have no faith when it comes to asking people to pursue things they don't really want to. A person might know they should step out of their comfort zone and join in a conversation on Twitter, but why when they can just get on Facebook and talk to their friends? In my opinion, before people can even be taught how to use social media to cause social change they need to instill a genuine interest for civic discourse in themselves. Until individuals starting caring about civic engagement for its own sake, I think people will continue getting online just to talk to others with similar ideas.