Digital enclosure and the communication commons revival

This thesis considers the political and economic forces shaping the Internet as a medium of increasing importance in everyday life. The digital communications infrastructure is currently facing commercial enclosure on three layers: physical (regulation and ownership of the wires), content (copyright policies, media technology, ownership), and space (ownership and orientation of online tools, spaces, and services). This thesis explores and analyzes the power dynamics driving enclosure on each of these layers, while also acknowledging opportunities for a rejuvenated “communication commons”.