China and Trust in the New Internet World

William H. Dutton

with Gillian Bolsover, Ginette Law, and Soumitra DuttaOxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford

Presentation for ‘Communication and Transformation’, the ICA 2013 Shanghai Regional Conference, Shanghai, London, 8-10 November 2013.

1. New online nations are dominant in the New World;

2. Users developing a global Internet culture: sharing similar values and attitudes;

3. Newly adopting countries are as liberal, if not more so, such as in support for freedom of expression;

4. Users in the newly adopting nations are more innovative in some patterns of use, e.g., social networking.

The Internet Values Project: ‘The New Internet World’

Questions

• Are there patterns of beliefs, attitudes or use in the New Internet World that will open or constrain freedom of expression or support or undermine privacy online?

• Will our 2010 findings stand up in light of our 2012 survey with more nations and in more languages?

• Where does China sit in the ‘New Internet World’?

(N) = 2,309 (N) = 9,166

The 2012 Survey Sample

Composition:

• 11,225 respondents in 63 countries

MENA AFRICA LATIN AMERICA

ASIA EUROPE OCEANIA /AUS

NORTHAMERICA

TOTAL

(N) 2,803 595 1,825 2,156

2,025 509 1,312 11,225

Five Patterns of Internet Development

Three Levels of Findings

An Internet Trust Bubble?

Users in Emerging Nations create more

content

Chinese Users Leading in Online Entertainment, Leisure, Commerce

Early Leaders

US Emerging Nations

China

% making online purchase at least weekly

28 23 30 60

% using Internet to get music

30 19 69 80

% watching videos at least weekly online

46 39 83 85

N = 3,567 800 3,857 527

Prominence of Mobile Use in Emerging Nations, led by China

Early Leaders

US Emerging Nations

China

% Users Owning a Smartphone

51 34 59 86

% Who Play Games on Phone

50 34 76 88

% Listening to Music On Phone

47 30 84 92

% Browsing Internet on Mobile Phone

57 40 79 90

Politics

Early Leaders

US Emerging Nations

China

% Who Believe the Internet is

Free

89 92 80 70

% Agree Gov’t Should Monitor

47 43 46 52

% Agree Gov’t Should Not

Censor Political Content

56 65 42 50

% Concerned About Being Monitored

68 68 59 64

% Posting Political Opinion Online at Least

Monthly

24 26 54 49

Themes

• The shifting centre of gravity• Converging attitudes and values that support free

expression, privacy and security online• Patterns of Internet Use Different in Early Leading

and Emerging Nations: content creation, sociability, mobile use, political speech: shifting centre of user-driven innovation?

• Commercial, entertainment and mobile Internet use in China and Emerging Nations increasingly central to the economy; increasingly critical to protect

• How can we explain the phenomenal activity in the emerging countries of the New Internet World where Internet applications and innovative uses are outstripping activity in US and EU?

• Does strong commercial and entertainment use of the Internet in China support its potential as a platform for civic activities?

Implications for Discussion

Focus: Global User Perspectives on Core Values, Expression

Researchers: William Dutton, Principal Investigator; Soumitra Dutta, Co-Principal Investigator; Ginette Law, Research Associate,

Gillian Bolsover, Research Assistant

Based at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, in collaboration with the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of

Management, Cornell University.

Surveys conducted in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and comScore with support from ictQatar

Administrative support through ISIS Innovation, University of Oxford

Online field research conducted by Toluna and comScore

The Internet Values Project