The governance of technology, the government of the self and of others

Law in general, and information law in particular, is an instrument of power. It has traditionally carried the task of restraining and directing technology, especially in moments of rapid technological change. Today, however, institutionalised legal power increasingly competes with rapidly consolidating technological power – and neither is fully prepared for the consequences of ongoing disruption. This lecture explores the challenges facing information law in an era in which both the government of the self and the government of others have become, fundamentally, questions of technology governance.