Reset
Reclaiming the Internet for Civil Society
Published on 14. January 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
432 pages
978-1-912836-77-2 (ISBN)
Description
WINNER OF THE SHAUGHNESSY COHEN PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING
'Reading this book might make you wish to set fire to your smartphone, but it might also make you wish to call for reform' Margaret Atwood
How to comprehend and correct the negative impact of the internet on politics, the economy, the environment and humanity? Reset is a fast-paced, compelling expose and a rallying call for clear change.
Drawing on the cutting-edge research from Deibert's world-renowned digital security research group, Citizen Lab, he exposes the influence of the communications ecosystem on civil society. He tracks a mostly unregulated surveillance industry, innovations in technologies of remote control, superpower policing practices, dark PR firms and highly profitable hack-for-hire services feeding off rivers of poorly secured personal data. He also unearths how dependence on social media and its expanding universe of consumer electronics creates immense pressure on the natural environment.
Determined to find solutions, Deibert has written a unique, readable and forward-looking book. To combat authoritarian practices, environmental degradation and rampant electronic consumerism, he urges for very specific restraints on tech platforms and governments to reclaim the internet for civil society. It's time for us to push RESET.
'Reading this book might make you wish to set fire to your smartphone, but it might also make you wish to call for reform' Margaret Atwood
How to comprehend and correct the negative impact of the internet on politics, the economy, the environment and humanity? Reset is a fast-paced, compelling expose and a rallying call for clear change.
Drawing on the cutting-edge research from Deibert's world-renowned digital security research group, Citizen Lab, he exposes the influence of the communications ecosystem on civil society. He tracks a mostly unregulated surveillance industry, innovations in technologies of remote control, superpower policing practices, dark PR firms and highly profitable hack-for-hire services feeding off rivers of poorly secured personal data. He also unearths how dependence on social media and its expanding universe of consumer electronics creates immense pressure on the natural environment.
Determined to find solutions, Deibert has written a unique, readable and forward-looking book. To combat authoritarian practices, environmental degradation and rampant electronic consumerism, he urges for very specific restraints on tech platforms and governments to reclaim the internet for civil society. It's time for us to push RESET.
Reviews / Votes
'No one has done more than Ron Deibert and his lab to expose the enemies of the internet... Reset is the definitive narrative of where we went wrong and a last chance to make things right' Edward Snowden 'Destined to become one of the 21st century's seminal political texts' Herald 'There have been many disturbing books about the surveillance society and its abuses. This one is more convincing than most... He has some of the best - i.e., most horrifying - stories. And, above all, he is right: one more unchallenged step down this road and any remaining shreds of our freedom and privacy will be lost' Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times 'Mindful of the immense scale of the challenge... we have sleepwalked into a machine-based civilisation of our own making that is full of unforeseen consequences and existential risks... Deibert is always acute and provocative but where he is most interesting is... where he lays out a recipe of possible remedies' Financial Times 'Deibert is a rare hybrid who combines an advanced understanding of computer technology with a rich background in political science. He is also a legend in security and tech circles' Misha Glenny, McMafia 'Tech is at a crossroads between oppression and liberation, and Ronald J. Deibert is our leading expert on the forces steering it in either direction. Reset is a road map revealing the secret alleys and byways that brought us to this juncture, and the ways ahead that we could navigate to a better future' Cory Doctorow, author of Radicalized and Walkaway 'Ron Deibert has been at the heart of analysing the harms of technology to human rights, and increasingly to the human condition, for decades. His deep research and clear moral compass make his plea for a "reset" an urgent one... Essential reading' Marietje Schaake, international policy director of the Cyber Policy Center, Stanford University, and president of the CyberPeace InstituteMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Duckworth Books
Dimensions
Height: 128 mm
Width: 197 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
342 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-912836-77-2 (9781912836772)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Ronald J. Deibert is professor of Political Science and founder and director of the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto. The Citizen Lab undertakes interdisciplinary research at the intersection of global security, information and communications technologies, and human rights. Deibert is the author of Black Code: Surveillance, Privacy, and the Dark Side of the Internet, as well as numerous books, chapters, articles, and reports on internet censorship, surveillance and cybersecurity.