Digital systems and technologies influence who holds power by changing who can collect data, control information, shape decisions, access networks and set rules. They can redistribute power by enabling individuals and communities to organize, but they can also concentrate power in governments, companies and platform owners.
Power in IB Digital Society means a person's or group's capacity to influence or control others. This shared SL and HL concept is structural and unevenly distributed. Digital systems alter it through connected mechanisms:
| Mechanism | How power is influenced |
|---|---|
| Data | Control of personal data enables prediction, targeting and decisions about people. |
| Algorithms | Design choices affect what is visible and how opportunities are allocated. |
| Networks | Access enables communication and organization, but providers and platforms can control participation. |
| Rules | Laws, policies and moderation standards define what is permitted, visible or punishable. |
A specific real-world example is Facebook and Cambridge Analytica in 2018. The system collected Facebook profile data for political microtargeting. The impact was that data became a resource for influencing political communication while users had limited knowledge or control over its use. The implication remains contested: targeted communication may help campaigns reach relevant audiences, but it may also increase unequal influence and reduce transparency. The case illustrates power, values and ethics, and systems: technical design, business decisions, political actors and users interacted, producing intended and unintended consequences.
A common misconception is that technology automatically creates empowerment. It does not: control over data, infrastructure and rules determines which people and communities gain influence and which lose it.
In an IB response, identify the digital system, compare at least two affected stakeholder groups, and explain how their ability to influence decisions changes. For evaluate or discuss questions, weigh empowerment against the concentration of power, support both sides with the example, and reach a reasoned conclusion.
