When technology is no longer neutral

For decades, programming was considered a purely technical activity involving algorithms, logic, and engineering. However, in the 21st century, it has become clear that code is not only a tool, but also a form of power. Programs and algorithms have become part of the social infrastructure: they decide what we see in the news feed, what decisions are made by courts and banks, and even whose voices are heard by society. This means that developers, often remaining in the shadows, are actually making political decisions - sometimes unconsciously, sometimes quite deliberately. Today, writing code is creating rules by which millions live.

Algorithms as tools of power

Any algorithm contains built-in assumptions and priorities - even if its goal is supposedly “neutral”. For example, the recommendation systems of YouTube or TikTok decide which topics and opinions will gain popularity and which will remain unnoticed. When Google's autocomplete search phrases substituted racist or sexist versions, it was not the result of malicious intent, but a reflection of the data on which the algorithm was trained - and the decisions made by engineers. Algorithms shape the information agenda, influence behavior and preferences, and therefore are active participants in the political process.

Mass surveillance and surveillance algorithms

With the development of the Internet and big data, states have received unprecedented tools for digital control. For example, the PRISM program in the United States allowed intelligence agencies to access user data through the largest IT companies, and in China, a social rating system was created that evaluates the actions of each citizen - from purchases to online behavior. All these systems work thanks to software developed by programmers, often without even suspecting how their code will be used. Thus, the programmer becomes a co-author of digital surveillance and control mechanisms, even if he did not intend to participate in this.

Who is responsible for the algorithm: responsibility and ethics

As the role of algorithms increases, the question arises: who is responsible for their actions? When an algorithm denies a person a loan or predicts an “increased risk of crime,” who can be held accountable — the developer, the company, or the state? Contemporary ethical debates in IT raise the question of the need for a conscious approach to software development. Universities are starting to include the basics of digital ethics in programming courses, companies are creating ethical review committees, but these measures are often superficial. In practice, it is the developers who make the key decisions, and they need to realize that even a single line of code can affect the lives of thousands of people.

Political movements in the digital age

IT can be not only a means of surveillance, but also a weapon of resistance. During the Arab Spring, Twitter and Facebook became channels for mass mobilization, hacker groups like Anonymous used cyber tools to make political statements, and projects like Wikileaks challenged systems of secrecy. Secure messengers (Signal), anonymous networks (TOR), encrypted mail services (ProtonMail) have emerged, becoming symbols of digital freedom. But the line between activism and cybercrime is blurred: what is a protest in one country may be punishable as a crime in another. This puts the programmer in front of a choice: who is he protecting with his code and where is his personal ethical line. Do we need a manifesto of a citizen programmer? Today, software has become a new form of law: it regulates behavior, limits or expands freedoms, works as media, as a court, and as a weapon.