Abstract

Developments in the internet landscape, particularly the omnipresence of companies such as Google and the exponential growth of social networking sites such as Facebook, are challenging the notion that our interactions with these ‘mega-entities’ are purely commercial. As they become inextricably involved in our lives, our relationships with them can increasingly be characterised as a political. The effect of their actions is broader and more difficult to escape than that of even the largest traditional companies, and our interest and legitimate expectations are correspondingly greater.

Hamish Forsyth

MBA candidate, Gates Scholar, Pembroke College Cambridge. Graduated with LLB and BA Philosophy in NZ. Worked as a Judges Clerk at the New Zealand Court of Appeal before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade where he worked predominantly on the Geneva-based WTO negotiations and the China-NZ Free Trade agreement. He was also temporarily posted in Beijing.