Corporate power, surveillance, and the future of Open Access

We live in an information economy, and the future of democracy and equity depend on everyone’s ability to access information. Yet, even as scholars and organizations work to make scholarly work openly available, the increased commercialization of information and technology, along with the enhanced capabilities for data collection and surveillance, threaten the ability for users to access that scholarly work. In addition, persistent racial, class, and gender divides exclude growing numbers of people from the internet and knowledge commons. Panelists will examine how the growing concentration of corporate control of internet service provision and content, including policies related to net neutrality, affect the ability of all people to have access to information. The broader implications of these developments for both democracy and inclusion and for the future of scientific inquiry will be discussed, and the panel will offer steps users can take to help protect internet freedom and the knowledge commons for all.

Co-Sponsors: University Library System, Global Studies Center, Department of History and Department of Sociology, University of Pittsburgh