The Digital in Dispute: A History of the Dutch Public Debate on Digitalisation

In this project the history of the Dutch public debate on digitalisation since the 1970’s is examined. Just like in most other countries in the world, the increased usage of digital technologies has in many ways revolutionized how Dutch society is organized. You yourself are probably reading this digitally on a computer screen while you try to be not distracted by the latest digital messages on your mobile phone. To what extent was there room for public debate during this digital ‘revolution’? From the first databases, the rise of the personal computer, the internet and smart cities; what were the main issues that caught the attention of the public. When? And why these issues? Which public values – like privacy, security and equality – stood at the center of the stage? How did the spaces for public debate themselves change in the context of digitalisation? And to what extent can digital technology itself – in the form of digital humanities techniques – help us to examine this history.