Trust me, I'm accountable: Trust and accountability online

Abstract

We live in an increasingly wired world. According to Robert Putnam, people are spending less time in persistent personal face to face interactions and more time in pursuits such as watching TV and using the Internet. At the same time, independently measured "social capital" - the extent to which we trust and work for a common good - is declining. In this panel, we explore: the impacts of electronic media on trust and accountability; whether and how electronic media can be designed and used to increase deserved trust and accountability; the relationship between protecting privacy and increasing the efficacy of communication; and how people's tendency to treat computers as social actors impacts these issues. In brief, how can modern technology enhance humanity's humanity?