E-democracy, information democracy, digital democr

E-democracy, information democracy, digital democracy, internet dictatorship, digital dictatorship, information dictatorship. A critical review of internet material by Ingo Manntoifel on a "digital dictatorship"


(This critical review is dedicated to the 238th anniversary of the first edition of The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant.)


There is an idea developed in an official (budget-funded) media machine. Democracy does not exist. This is just an idea that cannot be embodied anywhere. Consequently, the development and improvement of democracy cannot be the goal, and criticism of violations of democracy - it's a something absurd.

The logic and “usefulness” of this idea is clear. This idea underlies practical actions.

On December 5, 2019, an article by Ingo Manntoifel appeared on the DW website. The article is using the term “digital dictatorship”.

The term "digital dictatorship" did not seem to have been used before. This term is interesting because of its originality, in any case, because of its either real or relative novelty.

The term is interesting, especially since it places emphasis on the ideology and practice of the "impossibility" of "democracy".

If democracy is not possible, then what is possible? A dictatorship?

I suggest looking at the "problem" ("problem of Internet") a little wider.

The Internet is a complex system. It is acceptable to assume that this system has different levels.

One of the levels is very democratic. Each person can become an Internet user, and each user can (ideally) express his opinion.

Moreover, each user has access to information accumulated on the Internet. The huge information potential of the Internet is the fact.

If there are influential politicians who don’t like the “excessive democracy” of the Internet, its powerful “excessive” democratic information potential, then such politicians may want to use information potential in their interests.

Of course, you can enter all sorts of restrictions on the Internet. This is a “useful” affair, albeit a troublesome one.

It is more effective to realize a transfer of the process of (uncontrolled by society) accumulation of information into a large databases that are beyond the real access and control of the public.

This process does not deny the “digital dictatorship” - the Internet dictatorship, but the Internet dictatorship is only an element of a broader concept - the “information dictatorship”.

So, at one side – "information democracy "(its element - "Internet democracy" - "digital democracy").

At the other side is the "Information dictatorship" (one of its components is the "Internet dictatorship").

"Digital dictatorship", if we follow the text of Ingo Mannteufel, can be understood as "Internet dictatorship". But in a broader sense, "digital dictatorship" turns out to be synonymous with"information dictatorship."

We assume that discussion of concepts and terms is useful.


December 8, 2019 09:39


Translation from Russian into English: December 7, 2019 11:09.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский “Интернет-демократия, информационная демократия, цифровая демократия, интернет-диктатура, цифровая диктатура, информационная диктатура. Критическая рецензия на интернет-материал Инго Маннтойфеля о «цифровой диктатуре»”.