Released: 27th September 2018
Genre: Politics, Society, Technology
Martin Moore is a director and researcher at King’s College London who specialises in the role of technology in communications and political discourse. His most timely and prescient book, Democracy Hacked, is a comprehensive look at modern affairs, charting the impact of big tech on our societies and institutions.
Initially, the author analyses the rise of the social media platforms and their pivot towards harvesting user data. This combined with the advertising industry to create a near endless stream of profits. Entering the mid-2010s, the onset of manipulative tactics began. Opportunists like Steve Bannon used the GamerGate scandal in 2014 to indoctrinate gamers into the far-right, Russia used bots to influence public opinion and other populists like Rodrigo Duterte used Facebook’s vast reach to sway voters to his side. This is the book’s strongest element as it explores the complexities of technology and how it connects to shocking political outcomes. Every network of agitators from 4Chan trolls to Macedonian conspiracy theorists is included here as Moore examines their attitudes towards the internet and how to use it for their own ends.
There is a constant emphasis that liberal democracies have been irreversibly changed by the likes of Facebook, Google and Twitter; with enormous reach and a gigantic user base, both voters and politicians alike are unable to escape the oncoming effects. The final part of the book considers the possible futures of data-driven politics. Comparisons are drawn between the oppressive nature of China and the more efficient approach of Estonia. While Democracy Hacked was released in 2018, this area of the book offers further intrigue in retrospect. Social media companies still command great influence over the masses, especially when they are owned by billionaire investors.
Recommended?
YES: Democracy Hacked is a damning but deeply fascinating look at modern nations and how the political process has been manipulated. Every major incident from the early 2010s through to the shocks of 2016 is richly detailed, explaining how our societies became so polarised. When you consider the political earthquakes in the years following 2018, the book still offers an important history lesson on why citizens are divided. It’s a must-read for anyone who follows politics or global events.
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