Radical Secrecy: The Ends of Transparency in Datafied America

Transparency is not always the best policy, especially when powerful entities like the state and corporations have an unfair advantage in data control. This book argues that a radical form of secrecy could serve progressive social goals and lead to a "postsecret" society that is free from the false choice between secrecy and transparency. The author proposes a digital "right to opacity" as a crucial element of radical secrecy and uses case studies to illustrate how this could be applied in various contexts, such as presidential styles, conspiracy theories, and WikiLeaks.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 25 May 2021
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

In the era of digital data, where total surveillance limits agency and revelations of political wrongdoing often go unpunished, the question arises: Is transparency truly the social panacea that liberal democracies claim it to be? This book presents a provocative argument that a radical form of secrecy could be more beneficial for achieving progressive social goals, at least until state and corporate forces maintain an asymmetrical advantage in data control.

Clare Birchall delves into this thought-provoking question by exploring how transparency might actually serve agendas that are far from transparent. She questions whether we can envision a secrecy that could work in favor of, rather than against, a progressive politics.

To transcend the fragmented demands for privacy and address the ongoing conflict between state security and the public's right to know, Birchall adapts Édouard Glissant's thinking to propose a digital "right to opacity." She views this as a crucial element of radical secrecy, ultimately leading to a "postsecret" society. In this society, individuals would have the freedom to experience and understand the political without being forced to choose between secrecy and transparency.

Birchall grounds her compelling story with a range of case studies, including the diverse presidential styles of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump; the revelations brought forth by Edward Snowden; conspiracy theories endorsed or propagated by Trump; WikiLeaks and guerrilla transparency; and the opening of the state through data portals. These case studies provide valuable insights into the complexities of transparency and secrecy in the digital age.

Postsecrecy is essential for envisioning an alternative vision of "the good," one that is not shaped by neoliberal iterations of transparency or undermined by secret state surveillance. Moreover, postsecrecy reimagines collective resistance in the era of digital data. By challenging the dominant narratives of transparency and secrecy, Birchall offers a fresh perspective on the possibilities for social change and progress in the digital age.

Dimension: 216 x 140 x 38 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517910426