A Social Contract for Cyberspace

摘要

A social contract is about the rights and responsibilities among the members of the society on one hand and the state and government on the other. Cyberspace, by serving as a unique global platform for the connection and communication of its billions of users, creates its own social structure and thereby forms a new regulatory ecosystem. The societal reform that is facilitated by cyberspace challenges the traditional understanding of rights and responsibilities that shape social contract theory. The disinformation campaigns, the spread of hate speech, and the emergence of systemic algorithmic discrimination are examples that illustrate the need for new rules and social agreements between all stakeholders. This research aims to manifest the necessity of a social contract for the digital era. The study will first review the social contract theory and in particular, the classic works of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau and then specify the challenges that the state, the corporate sector and civil society face. The study concludes that the construction of a social contract between governments, citizens and companies, is still in its early phase. The enforcement of greater transparency, the implementation of new market regulations and above all the building of trust will enable the emergence of a new social contract.