New forms of digital power on the web: dimensions of the sexual politics of Big Tech

Although it initially appeared that the Internet would be a universal, decentralised, horizontal and egalitarian space, it has ultimately evolved into an ecosystem of vast domains controlled by major tech corporations. This new form of digital power manifests a specific “sexual politics” that primar...

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Main Authors: Águeda Gómez Suárez, Rosa Mª Verdugo Matés
Format: Article
Language:Spanish
Published: Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) 2024-12-01
Series:Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cidob.org/en/publications/new-forms-digital-power-web-dimensions-sexual-politics-big-tech
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author Águeda Gómez Suárez
Rosa Mª Verdugo Matés
author_facet Águeda Gómez Suárez
Rosa Mª Verdugo Matés
author_sort Águeda Gómez Suárez
collection DOAJ
description Although it initially appeared that the Internet would be a universal, decentralised, horizontal and egalitarian space, it has ultimately evolved into an ecosystem of vast domains controlled by major tech corporations. This new form of digital power manifests a specific “sexual politics” that primarily extends through leisure, culture, consumption and virtual communication channels, which reproduce and naturalise gender disparities, sexism and misogyny. This paper examines how patriarchy operates through gender dynamics by disseminating and proliferating misogynistic and sexist content online (cyber violence, “mainstream pornography”, the sexual exploitation industry, “digital pimping”), deploying a strategy aimed at consolidating its power, perpetuating sexual hierarchy and the “monetisation of misogyny” within the framework of a specific socio-sexual order.
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publisher Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB)
record_format Article
series Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals
spelling doaj-art-20cd3c7f9c70432d929e8655b239ec572025-01-08T15:05:02ZspaBarcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB)Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals1133-65952013-035X2024-12-0113897120https://doi.org/10.24241/rcai.2024.138.3.97New forms of digital power on the web: dimensions of the sexual politics of Big TechÁgueda Gómez Suárez0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4001-3060Rosa Mª Verdugo Matés1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9842-3391Profesora titular de universidad, Departamento de Sociología, Ciencia Política y de la Administración, y Filosofía, Universidad de Vigo.Profesora contratada doctora, Departamento de Economía Aplicada, Universidad de Santiago de CompostelaAlthough it initially appeared that the Internet would be a universal, decentralised, horizontal and egalitarian space, it has ultimately evolved into an ecosystem of vast domains controlled by major tech corporations. This new form of digital power manifests a specific “sexual politics” that primarily extends through leisure, culture, consumption and virtual communication channels, which reproduce and naturalise gender disparities, sexism and misogyny. This paper examines how patriarchy operates through gender dynamics by disseminating and proliferating misogynistic and sexist content online (cyber violence, “mainstream pornography”, the sexual exploitation industry, “digital pimping”), deploying a strategy aimed at consolidating its power, perpetuating sexual hierarchy and the “monetisation of misogyny” within the framework of a specific socio-sexual order.https://cidob.org/en/publications/new-forms-digital-power-web-dimensions-sexual-politics-big-techbig techdigital sexismdigital misogynydigital pimpingsex industry
spellingShingle Águeda Gómez Suárez
Rosa Mª Verdugo Matés
New forms of digital power on the web: dimensions of the sexual politics of Big Tech
Revista CIDOB d'Afers Internacionals
big tech
digital sexism
digital misogyny
digital pimping
sex industry
title New forms of digital power on the web: dimensions of the sexual politics of Big Tech
title_full New forms of digital power on the web: dimensions of the sexual politics of Big Tech
title_fullStr New forms of digital power on the web: dimensions of the sexual politics of Big Tech
title_full_unstemmed New forms of digital power on the web: dimensions of the sexual politics of Big Tech
title_short New forms of digital power on the web: dimensions of the sexual politics of Big Tech
title_sort new forms of digital power on the web dimensions of the sexual politics of big tech
topic big tech
digital sexism
digital misogyny
digital pimping
sex industry
url https://cidob.org/en/publications/new-forms-digital-power-web-dimensions-sexual-politics-big-tech
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