Author Archive

Robert Gorwa

Robert is a DPhil student in International Relations with broad interests at the intersection of technology and politics. His dissertation project examines the political role of large technology "platforms," and evolving notions of corporate power and private governance in the digital age. Previously, he was a graduate student at the Oxford Internet Institute (where he completed a MSc), and before coming to Oxford, Robert completed undergraduate studies in International Relations at the University of British Columbia. His public writing has been published in Foreign Affairs, Wired Magazine, the Washington Post, the LA Review of Books, and other outlets

It has been a tough few years for Facebook. Following Cambridge Analytica and the Russian interference in the 2016 election to ‘Definers-gate’, Myanmar, and a host of other crises, it is clear that, as Mark Zuckerberg has even now stated, ‘regulation is coming.’ Competition authorities, privacy regulators, and electoral commissions are all now grappling with the influence of big tech, but in the meantime, Facebook has begun implementing a series of much-needed policy changes and self-regulatory tweaks. In particular, transparency has emerged as a key means through which Facebook has attempted to regain the trust of the public, politicians, and regulatory authorities. These efforts are clearly no substitute for effective regulation, but have had an immediate impact that is worth …