The novel concept of Internet globalization emerged as a euphoric vision back in the 1990s and 2000s. The idea was simple yet compelling - everyone in the world would be inter-connected and communicate in a common language, English. However, the reality we face today is far more complex and less utopian. The internet, while a global tool, has become a battleground of national interests vying for dominance.
The Emergence of Ambitious Emerging Countries
As emerging countries began to gain more ambition and power, they started meddling in domestic politics. Russia became a prime example of this new trend, with government agencies acting in their national interests on the global platform back in 2017 Facebook intervention. But let's dig deeper; this is essentially a manifestation of conflicting national interests - everyone assuming their national view is the most accurate.
The Canada-India Conflict – An Illustration
The recent conflict between Canada and India over the assassination of a Sikh leader from Canada gives us a prime example. When news of the event broke on YouTube, a platform believed to be neutral, comments from Indian users flooded the platform, denouncing Canadian actions. Considering that this was a Canadian news source, it was surprising to note the dominance of Indian voices over Canadian ones.
The Influence of Population Size
Although it's crucial to remember that most of these comments were not from bots but genuine humans expressing their individual opinions, it poses a critical question: Does the size of a country's population play a role in deciding whose voices are heard the most online? With India's massive population of 1.4 billion competing against Canada's significantly smaller populace of 40 million, the 1/30 ratio significantly skews the conversation.
The Role of Specific Platforms like Reddit
Communities like Reddit have managed to balance this out through subreddit catering to national interests. For instance, there is a subreddit called Canada created explicitly for Canadian interests, which slightly levels the playing field in a global context. However, it's concerning that to keep these forums genuinely national, an almost authoritarian level of censorship is needed, where anyone not condemning the action against the Indian government gets immediately banned.
Pervasive National Interest Intrusion
Moreover, national interferences are not limited to conflicts relating directly to the country in question. From my personal observation, Indian opinions have marked their presence even in Japanese news on YouTube comments, indicating the pervasive intrusion of national interests on the global web.
The Need for Identity-based Virtual Spaces
With language translations making the internet an easily accessible platform for everyone, the need for new virtual spaces based on common identities to foster objective conversations is crucial. While the global internet caters to the global audience, localized discussions and opinions should also find their rightful place in the cyber ecosystem.
Concluding Thoughts
In reimagining the internet utopia, we should strive for a global platform that allows balanced representation from all nationalities. The continued dominance of a few large nations could lead to an underrepresentation of many others, thereby creating an imbalance in global conflict resolutions and discussions. We need to remember, the internet was designed to be a platform for all, not a selected few.