Internet Censorship, Control and Governance

6 ECTS credits
170 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4016226FNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

English

Faculty

Faculty of Social Sciences & SolvayBusinessSchool

Department

Communication Sciences

Educational team

Trisha Meyer (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

22 contact hours Lecture
4 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
144 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

In 1996 John Barlow wrote his famous Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace. The Internet would not be controlled by governments or the industry, it would be governed by the Internet community itself. That multistakeholder aspiration remains, but seems far off now.

Governments regulate and control the Internet in different policy fields and have started to question the suitability of early rules passed in the 2000s in today’s online environment. In a policy environment that seems to evolve from data leaks and security threats to disinformation and health emergencies, tech companies have been requested and have taken on an active role in moderating content, impacting our opportunities for expression on a daily basis.

This bears the question: what is Internet governance, which principles guide policy developments, and what role should the larger Internet community play?

This course introduces students to Internet governance. It gives an overview of (select) international institutions governing the Internet and focuses on current policy debates on Internet governance. It discusses central themes, such as censorship and freedom of expression, surveillance and privacy, disinformation and election integrity, copyright and creativity, cyber-diplomacy and cyber-security.

After taking this course, students should demonstrate a critical understanding of:

The founding guiding principles, state of affairs and discussions on the future of Internet governance
The role, functioning of and challenges facing institutions involved in Internet governance
The interactions between government, industry and civil society and the principles guiding international policy debates related to Internet governance

Course material

Digital course material (Required) : Slides and literature

Additional info

The exact list of literature will be communicated at the beginning of the academic year. The literature consists out of a reader with multiple journal texts, book chapters and policy documents in relation to the topic. Some of the works used in the past years include:

Barrinha, A. and Renard, T. (2017) Cyber-Diplomacy: The Making of an International Society in the Digital Age. Global Affairs 3(4-5) 353-364.
Brousseau, E., Marzouki, M. and Méadel, C. (2012, Eds.) Governance, Regulations and Powers on the Internet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Brown, I. (2013, Ed.) Research Handbook on Governance of the Internet. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
DeNardis, L. (2014) The Global War for Internet Governance. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Diebert, R. (2013) Black Code. Surveillance, Privacy and the Dark Side of the Internet. Oxford: Signal Publishers.
Drake, W. and Wilson III, E. (2008, Eds.) Governing Global Electronic Networks: International Perspectives on Policy and Power. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Mansell, R. (2012) Imagining the Internet. Communication, Innovation and Governance. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Marsden, C. and Meyer, T. (2019) Regulating Disinformation with Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Effects of Disinformation Initiatives on Freedom of Expression and Media Pluralism. Brussels: European Parliament.
Morozov, E. (2011). The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom. New York: Public Affairs.
Pohle, J. and Van Audenhove, L. (Eds., 2017) Post-Snowden Internet Policy. Special Issue of Media and Communication 5(1).

Teaching methods

Lecture: collective contact-dependent moments during which the lecturer engages with learning materials
Seminar, Exercises or Practicals (Practical): collective contact-dependent moments during which the students are guided to actively engage with learning materials
Independent or External Form of Study (Self): independent study

This description of the teaching methods is indicative, in order to assess the expected study load.

Lecture: 22 hours

Classical teaching: 11 x 2 hours

Practical: 4 hours

Student teaching of current events, including evaluation of student teaching: 2 x 2 hours

Self: 144 hours

Keeping up with the course material during the semester, amounting to 2 hours per hour lecture: 44 hours (22 x 2 hours)
Reading of literature before coming to class: 22 hours (11 x 2 hours)
Coursework after student teaching: 6 hours (3 x 2 hours)
Preparation of student teaching of current events: 32 hours (4 days of 8 hours)
Study of course: 40 hours (5 days of 8 hours)

Learning Outcomes

Algemene competenties

After taking this course students should be able to understand internet governance and its main multifaceted aspects.
They should understand current policy debates in this field.
They should have an overview of the institutions involved in Internet governance.

The course contributes to the following Masters’ learning outcomes:

M.1. Students show in-depth knowledge, understanding and insight within the field of communication sciences and in relation to the latest evolutions and discussions at both the national and international level.
M.1.d. Students show in-depth knowledge, understanding and insight within the field of communication sciences and in relation to the latest evolutions and discussions at both the national and international level regarding media, internet and globalization.
M.2. Students demonstrate the ability to critically contextualise and evaluate current national and international developments and discussions, and are able to independently deepen insights related to complex problems on the basis of an original framework of analysis, thereby expanding the theoretical basis related to their own fields of interest.
M.2.d. Students demonstrate the ability to critically contextualise and evaluate current national and international developments and discussions, and are able to independently deepen insights related to complex problems on the basis of an original framework of analysis, thereby expanding the theoretical basis related to media, internet and globalisation.
M.3. Students show an open and constructive attitude whilst having respect for other views and beliefs.
M.5. Students act upon an open attitude in a culturally diverse international context. They critically reflect on their own (geographical, social, cultural, local, personal, …) position.
M.6. Students demonstrate the skill to discuss and debate current societal and scientific topics and theoretical developments within the field of communication studies. The students discuss issues on the basis of critical and substantiated reflections and research findings, open-mindedly and willing to acknowledge other arguments.
M.6.d. Students demonstrate the skill to discuss and debate current societal and scientific topics and theoretical developments related to media, internet and globalisation. The students discuss issues on the basis of critical and substantiated reflections and research findings, open-mindedly and willing to acknowledge other arguments.
M.12. Students are able to communicate their point of view in a clear and scientific-grounded argumentation to various target groups.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 75% of the final mark.
Other Exam determines 25% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Oral Exam with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 75% of the final mark.

Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Group Paper & Presentation with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 25% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The final grade will be based on a combination of an oral exam (75%) and a group assignment (paper and in-class presentation, 25%). For the oral exams students need to process all course material (reading material, slides, lecture notes). Students will get two initial exam questions and a preparation time of 15 minutes before the exam starts. The assignment will be communicated at the beginning of the course.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Communication Studies: Media and Innovation (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Communication Studies: Digital Media in Europe
Master of Teaching in Social Sciences: communicatiewetenschappen (90 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)