Tools Beyond Control: Private Information Intermediaries and the Work of Advocacy Organizations

32 Pages Posted: 29 Apr 2014

See all articles by Luis Hestres

Luis Hestres

University of Texas at San Antonio

Date Written: April 29, 2014

Abstract

Advocacy organizations rely on private information intermediaries, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, to engage and mobilize their supporters. These private information intermediaries now increasingly determine how citizens and activists engage politically online through the technical architectures and policies they choose to implement — a phenomenon that can often disrupt the work of activists. Interviews with online strategists at several U.S. environmental and climate change advocacy organizations revealed low levels of awareness of this phenomenon, despite its potential impact on their work; substantial dependence on private intermediaries for advocacy work; and a shared sense of necessity to embrace these tools, despite their downsides. Implications for the scholarship and practice of Internet governance and Internet-mediated advocacy are discussed.

Keywords: Internet governance, private information intermediaries, advocacy organizations, social media, Facebook, Twitter, activism

Suggested Citation

Hestres, Luis, Tools Beyond Control: Private Information Intermediaries and the Work of Advocacy Organizations (April 29, 2014). 2014 TPRC Conference Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2430865 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2430865

Luis Hestres (Contact Author)

University of Texas at San Antonio ( email )

One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.luishestres.com

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