Power

Authority

power people may assume is legitimate 

Power is

 infleunce 

Max Weber (1864 – 1920) 

Power is the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite opposition from others. 

Weber believed that authority could come from three sources: 

• Traditional authority 

• Charismatic authority - could be influencers. 

• Legal-rational authority - platform terms of services and similar rules. 

Michel Foucault (1926 – 1984) 

Power is not something you have. It is a web between people that shapes how people think, act, and judge what is normal

Where might ‘authority’ come from in Foucault’s idea of power? 

 

The Panopticon. A prison where the guard can watch any prisoner but none of the prisoners can see the guard. 

The panopticon is an analogy Foucault uses to

describe 'disciplinary power. Nobody knows if they are being watched so people assume they must be and change their behaviour accordingly. 

In Foucault's idea of power,

authority comes from other people and what they regard as normal. 

Steven Lukes (1941 – present) 

• Decision Making Power

• Non-decision making power

• ideological power

Decision-making power

The ability to get your own way. 

Non-decision Making Power

Deciding what is acceptable to discuss, making some ideas unacceptable. 

Ideological Power

Influencing peoples’ thoughts and feelings, even making them want things that may be against their interests. 

Decision-making (Visible):

This is "Power over." A direct conflict where one person wins (e.g., a teacher giving a grade). 

Non-decision-making (Agenda-setting):

This is "Power to exclude." It's the "gatekeeper" power. If we only talk about how to use Instagram safely, we never have the conversation about whether we should use it at all. 

In the digital age, data is the new oil.

It is the most valuable resource for modern economic power. 

How Platforms Concentrate Power 

Digital platforms like Google and Meta use network effects: as user bases grow, these companies become so dominant that new competitors struggle to enter the market 

Data collection

 Platforms track user behavior to build detailed psychological profiles. 

Monetization

This data is sold to advertisers who pay to influence your choices. 

Mapping the Power Dynamics  -Platform Owners 

• Control the algorithms 

• Own the massive datasets 

• • Set the 'rules' for users 

Mapping the Power Dynamics  - users and citizens

• Provide the raw data 

• Can exert power through collective action/log-offs 

• • Benefit from connection but lose privacy 

When one company owns the search engine, the social media, and the browser, they

 

control your reality. 

How do we behave on social media? 

Power influences how people act. Look at the different types of people on X (Twitter). 

• Clout Seekers 

• Debaters 

• Lurkers (Silent Majority) 

• Activists 

• Trolls 

• • Experts 

Digital Platform:

 A website or app that connects users, businesses, or content. 

Examples  of Digital Platforms

Google → connects users to information 

Amazon → connects buyers & sellers 

TikTok → connects creators & viewers 

How Do Platforms Make Money? 

• Advertising Revenue

• Sales Commission

• Data Monetisation

• SubscriptionSales Commission 

  Amazon takes a fee from every product sold on their marketplace  Fees

Advertising Revenue 

Targeted Ads: 

Platforms sell user attention to businesses. 

Sales Commission 

Amazon takes a fee from every product sold on their marketplace 

Data Monetization 

Data Monetization: Platforms sell user insights or data to third parties. 

 

Subscription Fees 

Netflix and Spotify charge monthly fees for access to premium content 

Why Are Digital Platforms Powerful? 

Market Dominance 

Digital markets are controlled by a few massive companies. Most online searches go to Google, while social media interaction happens on Meta or TikTok. 

Control Over Behaviour 

These platforms are the 'gatekeepers' of the internet: 

 

• User Data

• User Choice

user data

• They track our habits and preferences.