information, however it can be identified as a public opinion against adultery produced by a public sphere on the Deep Web. The example of the Ashley Madison leaks being attributed to the formation of public opinion on a social issue supports the identification of Deep Web as a public sphere, using important themes like anonymity and independence. However, as previously mentioned, the public sphere is an important political tool in democratic society because it gives citizens the power to influence political action. In consideration of Internet studies, the subject of subcultures will be analyzed, identifying Internet activism as a major contribution to the influence of political action. The organization WikiLeaks will show how the Deep
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First, the Deep Web’s role as a public sphere was compared to the surface web in consideration of its basic infrastructure, proving that it treats its users’ content and viewpoints equally due to reasons like the lack of search engine prioritization. Anonymity, equality, and privacy were identified as crucial themes of the Deep Web which were consistent with its role as a public sphere after considering both Habermas’ and Fraser’s theories. These arguments were applied to proving that the surface web lacks these qualities based on the examples of media like Facebook and newspapers allowing corporations like advertisers to skew the public opinion, and the government’s capabilities for surveillance indirectly censoring its formulation. Theorists like Dahlberg support these arguments, proving that the Deep Web is a more ideal public sphere. Next, the Deep Web’s interface was analyzed, showing that the prominent use of different protocols from HTTP/HTTPS promoted inclusiveness, allowing more viewpoints in the deliberation and formulation of public opinion. This was shown to promote discourse free of restrictions in economic class and territorial restraint. In consideration of interface, the weakness of criminality on the Deep Web was addressed, however finding that many of the “criminal” actions could be interpreted as a public opinion formulated through a public sphere that is end-oriented in
First, the Deep Web’s role as a public sphere was compared to the surface web in consideration of its basic infrastructure, proving that it treats its users’ content and viewpoints equally due to reasons like the lack of search engine prioritization. Anonymity, equality, and privacy were identified as crucial themes of the Deep Web which were consistent with its role as a public sphere after considering both Habermas’ and Fraser’s theories. These arguments were applied to proving that the surface web lacks these qualities based on the examples of media like Facebook and newspapers allowing corporations like advertisers to skew the public opinion, and the government’s capabilities for surveillance indirectly censoring its formulation. Theorists like Dahlberg support these arguments, proving that the Deep Web is a more ideal public sphere. Next, the Deep Web’s interface was analyzed, showing that the prominent use of different protocols from HTTP/HTTPS promoted inclusiveness, allowing more viewpoints in the deliberation and formulation of public opinion. This was shown to promote discourse free of restrictions in economic class and territorial restraint. In consideration of interface, the weakness of criminality on the Deep Web was addressed, however finding that many of the “criminal” actions could be interpreted as a public opinion formulated through a public sphere that is end-oriented in