Closing of the Net

Monica Horten is a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She served as an independent expert on the Council of Europe's committee of experts on cross-border flow of Internet traffic and Internet freedom.

"Today's communications fabric relies on a layered connective space (the Internet). The corporate power that underwrites that space generates an unprecedented power problem for democracy. Monica Horten's sharply written book confronts that problem head-on, with striking case studies. Who really benefits from the "fingertap of desire" that drives our device use? Read this illuminating book to find out." Nick Couldry, London School of Economics and Political Science "Monica Horten writes about human beings' greatest invention – the Internet – and the emerging political and social trends that may cloud its future. Few thinkers could paint such a compelling, unified picture of the political forces across net neutrality, privacy, and mass surveillance – it is politics, not technology, that will most determine the Internet that our children inherit." Marvin Ammori, Affiliate Scholar at Stanford Law School, Center for Internet and Society "a book well worth reading ... both original and valuable" https://www.timeshighereducation.com/books/review-the-closing-of-the-net-monica-horten-polity"Times Higher Education "Future histories of information technology may record that the 'open' Internet proved but a transitory phase, and that those old enough to remember taking it for granted recall a golden era when views and ideas could be freely expressed online; for though we might still be able to express ourselves on tomorrow's Internet, 'The Closing of the Net' warns, it may not be for free." https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2016/03/book-reviews/"E&T"Considering the scope and breadth of the research and the clarity of the corresponding analysis, this book would be extremely helpful to those working in the fields of politics, law, media and technology as well as being a general interest text. It is an extremely relevant and timely addition to the growing body of cyber-related literature that I do not hesitate to recommend."http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2016/08/11/book-review-the-closing-of-the-net-by-monica-horten/"LSE Book Review"Many books are insightful. The author has a vision, or an interpretation, or a prediction to make. These books all show insight, used by their writers to express a unique viewpoint. Rarer than all is a book which offers its readers insight; where the author does not simply demonstrate their own understanding, but allows the reader to gain new understanding of their own. Chapter by chapter, The Closing of the Netpaints an intricate picture of the politics and law of data privacy in Europe and beyond. Monica Horten’s understanding of internet politics is succinct and incisive, making this just such a book.""http://itsecurity.co.uk/2016/08/book-review-closing-net-monica-horten/"It Security "Meticulously well-researched and thoughtfully written, the book takes the pulse of the open web. ... a must-read for any lawyer studying the legislation that internet politics produces." http://jiplp.oxfordjournals.org/content/11/12/949.full?keytype=ref&ijkey=eX8mIB4ScjEPKQE"Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice"This book leads the reader to understand the intricate net of lobbying underpinning core Internet policy issues such as government surveillance, net neutrality, online piracy or the TTIP agreement." Journal of Cyber Policy (2016)

• AcknowledgementsAcronyms and Abbreviations1 Power and the Internet2 Private Lives, Public Policy3 The PRISM Agenda4 Surveillance Liabilities5 Not Neutrality Under Pressure6 Filtering Policy7 The Cooperation Agenda8 Blocking Judgements9 A Dark Cloud10 Closing PressuresNotesReferencesIndex