The recent technological revolution in information and communication technology [ITC] has raised a bewildering array of questions which will have a dramatic impact upon society, economics, and politics as we know them. Does the state have an obligation to support - or even restrict - access to the internet? Who ensures the reliability of information currently available on the web? Will ITC eventually erode democracy? Will it pose a permanent threat to an individual's privacy? Examining these and other topical issues such as ID cards, hactivism, and e-voting, this book puts forth a new interpretation of the internet as a political space which requires constant evaluation if it is not to become an instrument of inequality and unfairness. Considering both the technological and social sides of the argument, this timely book provides an exploration of the politics of computing and is a must-read for everyone interested in the brave new world to which technology is leading us. -- Publisher description