The Future of the Internet by Jonathan Zittrain

The internet as we know it – open, free and unchecked – is in peril, so claims Jonathan Zittrain, professor of internet governance at Oxford University.

He claims that the creative anarchy of the internet is in danger because people are embracing appliances – connected device with proprietary, closed systems like the iPhone and Kindle. People are abandoning the “generative” internet because of the security issues associated with it. As appliances are closed systems, they are far less vulnerable to threats and consequently are growing in popularity.

The Future of the Internet is a gripping exploration of the development of the internet and a dystopian examination of where it is going. Exploring the legal and social implications that moving to a closed system includes, Zittrain attempts to point the way forward to an internet that can retain its generative spirit while offering more security.

Published by Penguin. R190 from all good bookstores.