“Software agents and haunted media : the twitter bot as political actor"

This report examines the rhetorical construction of Twitter bots as nonhuman political agents in press coverage of the 2016 U.S. election. It takes the rhetorical framing of “the Twitter bot” as a case study to argue that Twitter bots are a contemporary example of what media historian Jeffrey Sconce calls “haunted media” -- a communication technology that has been culturally ascribed an “uncanny” “agency.” First, this report provides a comparative close reading of two pieces from The Atlantic and The New York Times as examples of mainstream press coverage of bots shortly before and after the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Second, drawing on Sconce’s analysis of nineteenth and twentieth century media ecologies, it argues that “the Twitter bot” has been rhetorically constructed as haunted media through discourses that are inseparable from larger political narratives. The third and final section speculates on possible theoretical frameworks to expand this project in further inquiries. This report aims to demonstrate that haunted media narratives predate and persist beyond a specific election cycle or medium, and to argue that the construction of “haunted media” occurs alongside constructed concepts of democracy in our technologically mediated society. In doing so, this report contributes to the field of rhetoric of digital technology by bringing it further into conversation with political rhetoric.Englis

All or nothing: this is the question? The application of article 3(2) Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC to the Internet

The Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC (hereinafter the “Directive”) was passed in 1995 to harmonise the national data protection laws within the European Community with the aim of protecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals including their privacy as set out under Art. 1 of the Data Protection Directive. The rules governing the processing of personal data are deemed to be inapplicable in the two instances outlined by Art.3(2). Processing of personal data taking place as part of activities falling outside of Community law are excluded from the DPD. The Directive is also deemed to be inapplicable if the processing of personal data is undertaken by a natural person in the course of a purely personal or household activity. It is the second part of Art. 3(2), which is examined in more detail. The ruling by the European Court of Justice in Lindqvist provides us with a fresh opportunity to re-examine whether the policy justifications for the exclusion under Art 3(2) continue to remain relevant in the light of widespread use of new technologies such as blogs, podcasts and web pages for processing and distributing information. Greater clarity regarding the implication of new communication technologies for DPD policy is necessary if the laws on data protection are to evolve in a coherent and principled manner

The Role of Social Media and Its Implication for Democracy in 2020 U.S. Elections

We can see the growing use of social media for politics through 2020 U.S. elections. This social media presence has the potential to shift the perspective of democracy. This paper is a reflection to explore the use of social media in the United States democracy, especially in the 2020 election. This paper explained that social media has a significant role in the United States democracy, including those of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Social media, with its shortcomings and advantages, contributed greatly to the election results, increasing public engagement, and increasing political participation. On the other hand, social media also gave rise to public polarization in the U.S. and opened up foreign intervention opportunities. However, by the 2020 U.S. election, the foreign intervention was relatively low, so that it did not have enough effect on the election results. Trump and Biden became two candidates who understood this social media potential and sought to attract voters in their respective ways. With the right and structured strategy, Biden was able to achieve deeper engagement through numerous interactions on social media. As the result, Biden emerged as the winner of the election, one of which with social media support

Social networking and transnational capitalism

Social Networking Sites (SNS) have become a key component of users’ experience of the internet. Whilst much has been made of the social dynamics of online SNS, the influence of the structures and operations of these sites – and the business models behind them – on users is rarely accounted for. This paper argues that behind the social behaviours sup- ported by SNS, there is a growing shift towards viewing online communities as commodities, and SNS as an extension of mainstream capitalist ideologies fostered by existing patterns of commercialization and consumption. Using the works of Gramsci, Gill and Hardt & Negri to provide a critical grounding, this paper explores the popular SNS site ‘Facebook’ and suggests that SNS may feel to the users to be free, social, personal, but in fact SNS are business as usual

The Integration Of Records, Electronic Communication And Networks In Indonesia

Purpose: This paper aims to show how managers/users’ communication and negotiations through electronic communication reflect individual and organizational resilience facing the global changes in ICT. The networked record structure, as the centre of the interactions, symbolizes the internal and external communication process in the organization. Design/methodology/approach: We analysed the integrated network structures of the record from six government offices and three multinational corporations and one international Non-Government Organization in Indonesia as symbolic interactions between individuals and groups who easily cope with ICT innovation and who find the innovation to be challenging. To validate our findings, we interviewed eleven stakeholders, consists of managers, users, and staff from these organizations. Findings: We found that managers and users utilize various strategies to cope with changes and play different roles, based on the situation at hand. Constructed through their negotiations and influenced by social, economic, and cultural factors, electronic communication networks reflect organizational and individual resilience. Based on the findings, we encourage social inclusions in the implementation of integrated records, to achieve the sustainable development program goals. Originality/Novelty: The paper states that the records of integration does not merely concern on ICT and physical records per se also man as the actors and organization as living organism deal with disruptiveness and resilience facing changes in digital transformation. It highlights the actor experiences and perspectives using interactionism symbolic convey the shifting from the focus on behaviors slant in the process of communication within networks. Keywords: Records, Electronic communication, Networks, Symbolic interactionism, Perspectives, Resilient. Paper type: Research pape