The Not-so-great Transformation

Abstract

Many have attributed the excesses of private power in the digital age to the internet’s "lawlessness." Julie Cohen’s Between Truth and Power explains why this is a dangerous misconception. The law has not sat idle during the rise of informational capitalism; it has undergone extensive transformation and now facilitates corporate surveillance and manipulation on a global scale. Meanwhile, legal institutions have taken a turn towards managerialism and away from democratic accountability. Recognizing these transformations and the ideologies that motivate them is critical to grappling with the legal challenges of the digital era.

Keywords: Julie Cohen, Julie E. Cohen, Between Truth and Power, informational capitalism, platform law, platform regulation, manageralism, managerialization, deep capture, law and political economy

JEL Classification: K11, K20, N20, N30, N40, O14, O24, O31, O33, O34, O35, O38, Y30