Journal
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Volume 32, Issue 2, Pages 108-126Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/0960085X.2021.1907234
Keywords
Critical social theory; digital risk society; critical is research; national digital infrastructure
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The rise of the digital society has brought about significant social risks, however, limited research has been conducted on the implications of this new digital society. This study investigates the public discourse surrounding risk events during the launch of NemID, a Danish digital identifier. Findings highlight the difficulties and challenges in managing social risks during the process of societal digitalization.
The rise of the digital society is accompanied by incalculable social risks, but very little IS research has examined the implications of the new digital society. Drawing on concepts from Beck's critical theory of the risk society and critical discourse analysis, this study examines the public discourse on risk events during the launch of NemID, a personal digital identifier for Danish citizens. This research illustrates our difficulties and challenges in managing some of the fundamental social risks from societal digitalisation. Limited institutional capabilities for digital technologies force public officials to depend on private companies motived by profit instead of the public interest. Beliefs in digital technology as the primary determinant of social and economic progress also present many public management dilemmas. When digital risk events occur and citizens' fears are stoked by news media and public discourse, public officials seem to have no other strategy for managing the escalating fears than systematically distorted communication. The continued rise of the digital risk society demands that IS research respond to the challenge of generating knowledge for its public management.
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