Internet activism
Internet activism refers to the use of online platforms and digital communication to promote and support activist movements. This form of activism has evolved since the early 1990s, initially gaining traction with the rise of email and message boards, and later expanding through social media and video-sharing sites. Key activities include fundraising, organizing events, and spreading awareness through blogs, podcasts, and e-mail campaigns. Significant milestones in Internet activism include the mobilization efforts by VoterMarch after the 2000 US presidential election and the widespread use of social media during the Arab Spring, where platforms like Facebook and Twitter were pivotal in organizing protests and sharing experiences in real-time.
Prominent examples of Internet activism include the large-scale protests against the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and the Occupy Wall Street movement, showcasing the Internet's power in influencing legislation and social movements. The rise of "hacktivism," which combines hacking with activism, introduces a more controversial dimension, often involving direct action to address issues like surveillance and online privacy. Conversely, "slacktivism" highlights a less impactful form of participation, where individuals engage in minimal online activities without deeper commitment. Overall, Internet activism represents a diverse and evolving landscape that reflects the intersection of technology, social change, and global communication.
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Internet activism
Internet activism is the use of online networks and electronic communication to further activist movements and spread information. Activists in these movements use the Internet to facilitate fund-raising, organize causes, communicate with each other, and disseminate messages quickly and efficiently through a wide variety of means, including social networks like Twitter and Facebook and media-sharing websites like YouTube. Blogs, podcasts, and e-mail campaigns also provide routes for outreach. Internet activism is known by many other terms, including online activism, cyberactivism, digital campaigning, and e-activism.
Overview
Internet activism dates back to the early 1990s, when the use of online communication slowly began to grow more common. Throughout the decade, more people started using e-mail, which eventually became a means for activism through mass mailings and message boards. Websites geared toward movements for social or political change became new platforms for communication and grassroots campaigning. Internet-based political activism became more mainstream after the 2000 US presidential election when the voter-rights group VoterMarch used the Internet to organize protests in response to the Bush v. Gore decision by the Supreme Court. VoterMarch would later use the Internet to protest such events as the Iraq War and the 2004 US elections.
As the world moved further into the information age and the proliferation of digital technology expanded, so too did the use of the Internet for activism. The web became a common venue for petitions, lobbying, recruitment, campaigns, and communication between fellow activists. One very active group was MoveOn.org, a nonprofit political policy and action group that began as an e-mail group in 1998.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, the Internet played an increasingly large role in international events. Beginning in the winter of 2010 and 2011, unrest in a number of Middle Eastern and North African countries, including Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Tunisia, led to a series of revolutions and protests that came to be known as the Arab Spring. Social media and digital technology played an unprecedented role in bringing the realities of the conflict to international attention. Facebook was used to organize demonstrations, Twitter was used to share events in real time, and videos and photographs captured close-up images of the struggles.
Another powerful example of Internet-based activism was the 2012 response to the Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), two proposed laws that targeted online copyright infringement. Major websites such as Google, Reddit, Craigslist, Twitter, Mozilla, and the English-language version of Wikipedia participated in large-scale protests against the acts by criticizing the bills, managing petitions, and even shutting down altogether in service blackouts. As a result of these protests, the legislation was halted. Additional examples of Internet activism include the organization of the Occupy Wall Street movement and the work of Julian Assange, founder of the online organization WikiLeaks, which publicizes classified information.
Another result of the popularization of Internet activism is the concept of “hacktivism.” This practice, which takes its name from hacking, involves the use of computer technology to directly promote political and social issues and messages, sometimes by overriding the security of other entities. Common issues that hacktivists address include open sourcing, surveillance, online privacy, whistle-blowing, and freedom of speech. Hacktivism is sometimes viewed as controversial, as it can be a form of civil disobedience, or it may take the form of a crime or online attack. The anonymity of the Internet is another issue in hacktivism, since there is lower risk for participants. The collective activist group known as Anonymous is an example of this. This leaderless network of Internet activists has been known to carry out cyberattacks targeting government organizations, banks, and corporations such as PayPal and MasterCard.
On the other end of the spectrum from protest organizers and groups like Anonymous is the concept of “slacktivism.” Slacktivism, a play on the word “slacker,” is a term for activism that takes little effort on the part of the participant and is viewed as a relatively meaningless act. An example of a slacktivist would be an Internet user who signs a petition or supports a cause on a social-media website but takes no other action to effect change.
Bibliography
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