The Informational Commons at Risk (Working Paper 8)
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Authors
Roberts, Alasdair
Date
2000-09
Type
working paper
Language
en
Keyword
Informational Commons , Information , Core Functions , Economic Liberalization
Alternative Title
Abstract
Conventional wisdom says that we are on the cusp of a Global Information Society, in
which new technologies will provide citizens with unprecedented access to information. This is an
appealing but flawed vision of the future. Governments are still reluctant to disclose information
about core functions. At the same time, neoliberal reforms have caused a diffusion of power across
sectors and borders, confounding efforts to promote governmental openness. Economic liberalization
has also made it more difficult to enforce corporate disclosure requirements. Meanwhile,
technological change has spurred efforts by businesses and citizens to strengthen their control over
corporate and personal information. Efforts to defend the borders of the “informational commons” —
the domain of publicly-accessible information — will be also be complicated by problems of policy design and political mobilization. Imposing transparency requirements was easier when authority
was closely held by national and sub-national governments. The task is more difficult when power is
widely diffused.