People Vs Tech: How the internet is killing democracy (and how we save it)

In his book "The People Vs Tech," Jamie Bartlett argues that the digital revolution is threatening democracy by eroding the middle class, weakening sovereign authority, and diminishing critical faculties. He suggests upholding six key pillars of democracy to save it before it is too late, including becoming active citizens, promoting equality, and safeguarding competitive and civic freedoms.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 19 April 2018
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Winner of the 2019 Transmission Prize

Longlisted for the 2019 Orwell Prize for Political Writing

‘A superb book by one of the world's leading experts on the digital revolution, David Patrikarakos, Literary Review

‘This book could not have come at a better moment... The People Vs Tech makes clear that there is still time – just – for us to take back control. Camilla Cavendish, Sunday Times

The internet was meant to set us free. Tech has radically changed the way we live our lives. But have we unwittingly handed too much away to shadowy powers behind a wall of code, all manipulated by a handful of Silicon Valley utopians, ad men, and venture capitalists? And, in light of recent data breach scandals around companies like Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, what does that mean for democracy, our delicately balanced system of government that was created long before big data, total information, and artificial intelligence? In this urgent polemic, Jamie Bartlett argues that through our unquestioning embrace of big tech, the building blocks of democracy are slowly being removed. The middle class is being eroded, sovereign authority and civil society are weakened, and we citizens are losing our critical faculties, maybe even our free will.

The People Vs Tech is an enthralling account of how our fragile political system is being threatened by the digital revolution. Bartlett explains that by upholding six key pillars of democracy, we can save it before it is too late. We need to become active citizens; uphold a shared democratic culture; protect free elections; promote equality; safeguard competitive and civic freedoms; and trust in a sovereign authority.

This essential book shows that the stakes couldn't be higher and that, unless we radically alter our approach to technology, we risk losing the very essence of what it means to be a democratic society.

Weight: 220g
Dimension: 199 x 132 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781785039065