Foucault’s Theory Of Governance And The Deterrence Of Internet Fraud

Abstract

In his major works, Michel Foucault explored ways in which humans have been made subjects throughout history—by virtue of direct governmental control and by virtue of a more subtle power: the construction of individual identity through a design of permissible behaviors and thoughts. Foucault also explored in his works a model of governance premised on a hypothesis of networked relations of people, communication, and capacities for change. This article argues that Foucault’s model of governance can be used to discover and develop strategies for deterring Internet fraud through the network of relations and capacities within the Internet community.