The hot issue
Making your mind up
Which “horse” would you bank on, if you had a choice? Classical democracy, as it used to be in the time before the internet, or digital democracy? Two “state operating systems” in comparison.
- A day without the internet – it’s become almost unimaginable. Whether we’re at work or at play, it simply makes our life easier. But only a small minority use the internet to take part in political decision-making. What new options does the net offer us for shaping our world and what risks do those options bring with them? Does the digital revolution clear the way towards direct democracy or even to an entirely new form of democracy – to a form of “digital democracy”?
| Representative democracy |
Name | Digital democracy |
|---|---|---|
| People interested in politics Politicians who run for election A functioning state under the rule of law |
Requirements | In addition: A properly functioning internet Accessibility for all |
| Traveling to the ballot box Postal voting |
Possible election methods | In addition: E-voting – easy and time-saving, can vote from anywhere |
| Polling card Posters TV Magazines Election advertising |
Invitation to participate in election | In addition: Online invitation to participate Reminder Addressing target voters appropriately Can reach target voters who get their information primarily online |
| Regular circles of acquaintances Family, friends and neighbors TV Newspapers Election posters On-street party presence Campaign events Personal contact with politicians |
Opinion formation | In addition: The internet as a source of political information: e.g. search engines, websites of public institutions, NGOs Unfiltered first-hand information Virtual, cross-border exchange of information Voter advice platforms Fact checking Risks: Filter bubbles Social bots Fake news Reliability of information sources Propaganda Manipulation Information overload |
| Exercise your franchise Become a party member Demonstrations Referendums (in certain cases only) Petitions Letters to the editor Signature collection campaigns |
Participation in political decision-making processes | In addition: Online discussions, initiatives and polls Anyone can provide information without having to join an organization E-petitions Political campaigns, inexpensive and quick to organize, e.g. www.avaaz.org Signature collection campaigns, reaching large numbers of people quickly Direct exchanges with politicians Issue-based, time-limited commitment Internet anonymity may encourage people to take part Risk: The digital divide: anyone who’s not on the net or is unfamiliar with how it works is excluded |
| Abstention from voting Complaints to official bodies Letters to the editor Demonstrations |
Avenues for making complaints | In addition: abgeordnetenwatch.de Social media Forums Platforms Direct consultation with politicians |
| Military coups Non-participation in elections Abuse of ballot boxes Countless others |
Possible malfunctions | In addition: Network failure Server failure Bugs in software Hacker attacks Monitoring There are mechanisms available to make processes more secure: Cryptography |
- This overview is definitely not exhaustive but it does show how the digital revolution can in principle at least facilitate more citizen involvement in democratic politics. There are, however, a few homework tasks for politicians and industry, including the need to ensure access for everyone to the internet, to promote media literacy throughout the population, to optimize data protection and security and, last but not least, to ensure that the focus is always centered on the individual human being. And in order to make sure that the we don’t all get bogged down in a mire of bots and fake news or stagnate in our own filter bubbles, each and every one of us has a need to inform ourselves, and to do so well beyond our comfort zone. And when doing so it’s important not to forget the offline world. Face-to-face exchanges are always helpful in our efforts to broaden our horizons.
For all our commitment to the digitalization process, we should be careful to remember that all the internet provides is the technical prerequisites. Democracy is not to be taken for granted: all state power comes from the people, a fact that implies the need for us to want to participate. Radical forces are well aware of that fact. What those who do not exercise their right to participate, even going so far as to squander their right to vote, are doing is abdicating their power in favor of others. They shouldn’t be too surprised by the consequences.
We at Deutsche Telekom want to make sure that the citizens of Europe benefit from the digital revolution. That’s why we are investing billions of euros every year in developing the network. For us, the highest possible standards in data protection and security are an essential attribute of our brand. And through our “Media sure! But secure” initiative we are actively helping people improve their skills in dealing with the media.
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Digital democracy
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