Information and power - New rules in a changing online world

THE management of information, its manipulation to create a specific impression or damage an individual, the security and integrity of online data, the role of social media in influencing public and political agendas, their role in elections, myriad issues surrounding the rights of those who generate information for commercial purposes and an individual’s right to online privacy are the subject of growing, if belated, public attention.

Nearly every day brings examples of how laws drafted long before the advent of the internet are unequal to the task of protecting individuals, businesses and, in some instances, whole societies from the great forces — good and bad — unleashed by the internet, email and evolving social media.

Everything from the election of Barack Obama as President of the US, the Arab Spring to last week’s sensational campaigning internet video calling for the arrest of Joseph Kony, the fugitive leader of the insanely murderous Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda — already viewed by more than 40 million people — confirms one of the great power shifts in history.

In another strand of the debate yesterday, the controversy surrounding RTÉ’s Frontline presidential debate intensified after allegations that RTÉ prepared a question for a member of a studio audience with, according to the questioner, the intention to “gun down” candidate Seán Gallagher. Up to that point, Mr Gallagher led opinion polls by a considerable margin.

Earlier last week, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland upheld a complaint by him about the debate and the Today With Pat Kenny radio programme about a tweet broadcast during the programme.

The tweet, Mr Gallagher’s supporters contend, had a defining influence on the election result. Mr Gallagher yesterday called for a public inquiry into the affair.

RTÉ is already under considerable pressure over the Fr Kevin Reynolds affair, but no one should take any comfort in the organisation’s travails as it is an essential part of this democracy.

However, it may need to be more transparent in how it goes about its business and how it protects the ideal of objectivity if it is to be as strong and as respected as we all need and want it to be.

Last week, too, the FBI accused two Irish students of being among the ringleaders of disruptive internet hacking organisations.

The two teenagers face somewhere between 10 and 20 years in jail if convicted. This cross-border reach shows how national boundaries have been made redundant, on this stage at least.

Parallel to all of this, a review of Irish copyright legislation will identify where our legislation may need to be redrafted. The review may make recommendations for changes in EU directives to eliminate barriers to innovation and optimise the balance between protecting creativity and facilitating innovation.

This is a vast and complex area where many conflicting issues and rights clamour for dominance. It seems beyond the scope of a relatively small country to regulate these issues alone and it may fall to European legislators to take the lead.

However, the need for one dedicated national ministry to develop and co-ordinate legislation across all aspects of government and society to protect individuals, communities and enterprises seems obvious.