Good and bad news spreads like wildfire

In a frenzy of liberation, we rejoice in the victory of the good over the bad. It is easy to lose sight of the fact that mindfulness for our well-being also includes paying attention to those who are not so well-disposed towards us. In the digital world, it is all about self-determination: the power of disposition over the publication of personal data must lie with the individual. After all, both charitable and hurtful messages spread like wildfire via digital media.

The Jasmine revolutions are often portrayed as Facebook revolutions. In fact, the new communication platforms play a central role. One insurgent defined their role as the fuse that made the powder explode. It used to be said that news spread like wildfire. Facebook and Twitter are the wildfires of today. Just like in the past, they are used to spread not only enlightening news, but also manipulative information. In both the public and private spheres, it is therefore important to strike the right balance between trust and mistrust.

The Google and Facebook generation is playing a central role in the revolutions in the Arab world. The upheavals mean not least a liberation of communication. Direct communication between citizens has increased awareness of dignity and human rights. Documents on Wikileaks, which confirmed the self-dramatization and corruption of the potentates with further information, also played a role.

In Switzerland, on the other hand, data protection is fighting against Google. An anachronism? No. Ultimately, all communication instruments and all tools can be used for both good and evil. Even in the digital world, the need to close the front door remains with good reason.

Power asserts itself through violence and strict control of communication. In the Arab world, the rebellious population does not fear the sanctions of the potentates. Once anger at the oppression gained the upper hand, the urge for freedom could not be restrained by weapons. The Western world, which liked to legitimize the Arab regimes with cultural explanations, is rubbing its eyes: human rights are universal. Opportunistic friendships with dictators turn into mortgages for governments and companies within days.

Meanwhile, the Swiss Federal Data Protection Commissioner Hanspeter Thür and the Google Group's lawyers faced off in the Federal Court last week. The point of contention is Street View, the Google tool that allows you to take a virtual walk on any street, look into gardens and houses and observe people and cars. Google argues with the great success of the application. Of course, who can resist peering curiously into gardens and living rooms? In future, thanks to image recognition, we will know who crosses us on the street without any effort and should not be surprised if we are addressed by name by complete strangers. If we are out exploring ourselves, we will be delighted by the unlimited access to private spheres. However, if we ourselves are being watched at every turn, we rightly feel persecuted. Virtual boundlessness opens the door to stalkers of all kinds.

Self-determination, both collectively and individually, is a universal human need. Institutions that want to count on the loyalty of those involved in a politically, economically and culturally sustainable way would therefore do well to create space for autonomous decisions within their structures. The major players in the digital revolution should therefore not exhaust their current dominance. Sooner or later, people will find ways to escape their control. The news about the winners and victims of the dictatorship of the public sphere, as aptly described by Richard Sennett, will also spread like wildfire.

By Josefa Haas, Head of the Media Institute