Networked privacy and its broader implications

Abstract

In this article, we review Alice Marwick’s book, The Private is Political: Networked Privacy and Social Media, published by Yale University Press in 2023. In the book, Marwick argues that the digital nature of the social media landscape fundamentally changes contemporary notions of privacy. We trace three specific elements of her argument, namely: (1) the design of networked technologies to connect and leak, (2) the subsequent differential harms on those historically marginalized, and (3) the need to shift from individualized to more contextual and structural understandings of privacy. We discuss the implications of these arguments not just for privacy, but for expression. We describe the tensions around freedom of expressions and content moderation online. Finally, we conclude with a reflection on these arguments for academic expression given the socio-technological context in which we work and the differential harms that impact academics from historically marginalized communities. Building on Marwick’s arguments, we call for a social, contextual, and structural approach for responding to the targeted harassment of academics to protect and ensure academic freedom for all.