Technological determinism and democracy in the governance of the logical layer of the internet

Abstract

The article focuses on the relationship between the Internet Governance and democracy in the governance of the logical layer of the Internet. Due to the impactful role and the normative effects of standards, protocols and technical decisions for the Internet and Internet users, and the centrality of the Internet in almost every aspect of thesocial, financial and political life, it argues thatwe ought to examine the ideologies, narratives and assumptions that have informed and shaped key governance arrangements.It explores the influence of technological determinism as a technocratic governing mentality, applying the argument of Taylor Dotson in the context of Internet Governance, and more specifically in the governance of the logical layer, focusing on standard-setting and technical decision-making by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It argues that technological determinism has been pervasive in Internet Governance discourse since the early days of the Internet, while standard-setting and technical decision-making are technocratically organized and non-democratic procedures, considering also how the technical community takes decisions, as well as how itself frames its tasks and perceives standard-setting and technical decision-making. It concludes arguing that we need to review the way governance on the logical layer is organized, dispelling technological determinism, while introducing social considerations and democratic principles.