Infocracy

In Infocracy, Byung-Chul Han critiques how information overload affects democracy, revealing how perceived freedom masks deeper control in the digital age.

In Infocracy, Byung-Chul Han explores the overwhelming tide of information unleashed by digitization and its impact on society. This deluge of communication threatens to disrupt various aspects of social life, particularly in the realm of politics. Election campaigns have transformed into information wars, characterized by the use of bots and troll armies, leading to a concerning shift where democracy is increasingly overshadowed by the concept of infocracy.

Han argues that infocracy represents a new form of governance that emerges from contemporary information capitalism. Unlike the disciplinary measures of industrial capitalism, which relied on compulsion and repression, this new regime capitalizes on the illusion of freedom. Surveillance and punishment have been replaced by strategies of motivation and optimization, creating a scenario where individuals believe they are free while their behaviors are meticulously recorded and psychopolitically controlled. This paradox highlights how power operates not through overt coercion, but through the perception of freedom.

This critical examination of politics in the digital age is essential reading for students and scholars in the humanities and social sciences, as well as for anyone concerned about the current trajectory of political life. Infocracy invites readers to reflect on the implications of living in a data-driven society and the subtle ways in which our freedoms may be compromised.