What About Mobile App Governance? The Limited Understanding of Audiovisual Communication in Argentina's Law 26.522

Abstract

Argentina’s 2009 Audiovisual Communication Services Law (No.26.522) echoes the World Summit on the Information Society’s commitment to “democratize” the information society, referencing cultural and linguistic diversity, the inclusion of indigenous traditional knowledge, and the local production of digital contents. However, audiovisual communication is defined in terms of television and radio broadcasting. This paper brings together results from two case studies to raise debate on whether new media services, such as mobile apps, should be subject to democratizing regulations. The first case concerns the orientation of the mobile app industry, and the second, the indigenous media movement, “communication with identity.” Where app developers in Argentina are geared towards an international market, indigenous actors demand local control over media production. Conclusions suggest the need for further research on how minority voices can be valorized and included in the communication media produced and transmitted over mobile telephony.