It's the Definition, Stupid! Framing of Online Privacy in the Internet Governance Forum Debates

Abstract

How do different stakeholders in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) define and discuss privacy? Using sophisticated statistical and linguistic tools, the authors analyze the language used at the IGF from 2006 to 2011 to identify the frames used by different groups in privacy policy rhetoric. The article exemplifies a case of the use of these complex tools for research purposes; and also reveals that the focus of the privacy discourse at the IGF has evolved over time, especially with respect to the balance between “privacy rights” and “security” and between civil society and state actors.