The global governance of cyberspace: reimagining private actors' accountability: introduction

The advent of the digital revolution brought about a wave of optimism and raised the hopes of societies for better governance and more freedoms, hopes that today seem dashed, at least partly. There is a widespread belief that new and emerging information and communication technologies (ICTs) pose threats to the rights of individuals and groups, and give rise to complex global governance questions. A growing amount of literature shows how they present challenges for data privacy, discrimination, and inequality, economic relationships, human rights and freedoms more generally. With regard to global governance, they have already radically changed the balance of power between public and private actors, they have introduced novel decision-making tools, and have revolutionised communications, turning them into a self-standing challenge