Rebecca MacKinnon Quotes

In modern politics, even the leader of the free world needs help from the sultan of Facebookistan.

The only legitimate purpose of government is to serve citizens, and ... the only legitimate purpose of technology is to improve our lives, not to manipulate or enslave us.

The Internet is an empowering force for people who are protesting against the abuse of power.

Microsoft, Yahoo and others are helping to institutionalize and legitimize the integration of censorship into the global IT business model.

Increasingly, people have very little tolerance for anything that smacks of propaganda.

I study how governments seek to stifle and control online dissent.

Shibuya is a trendy part of Tokyo where young people come to meet and have a good time.

The Patriot Act, passed overwhelmingly but hastily after 9/11, allows the FBI to obtain telecommunication, financial, and credit records without a court order.

Governance is a way of organizing, amplifying, and constraining power.

We have to start thinking of ourselves as citizens of the Internet, not just passive users. I don’t see how we can bring about change in our digital lives if we don’t take responsibility.

We’re at a point in history that whether the Internet is going to evolve in a way that’s compatible with democracy and human rights is really kind of up in the air.

Each and every one of us has a vital part to play in building the kind of world in which government and technology serve the world's people and not the other way around.