From Gutenberg to the Internet: Free Speech, Advancing Technology, and the Implications for Democracy

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The history of free expression is inextricably intertwined with advances in speech technology. However, until recently, most forms of communication were limited and controlled by so-called "gatekeepers" who had the power to limit or control the ability of ordinary individuals to communicate with each other. With the advent of the Internet and new forms of technology, people have much greater capacity to communicate with each other. Although both governments and private entities have attempted to control discourse over the Internet, new technologies have enabled ordinary individuals to more easily communicate with each other and to participate in the political process.

This greatly expanded new edition provides an up-to-date examination of how advancing technologies are implicating the democratic process. In addition to tracing the history and evolution of speech technologies, it examines how burgeoning social media — including Musk's takeover of Twitter (X) — has impacted traditional media (e.g., newspapers, radio and television), as well as its effects on political campaigns. New chapters on disinformation, robotic speech, bots and chatbots are included.

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