The traditional elite conception of democracy has been to tell the people, "As long as you let us call the shots, we will pretend to let you rule."
This deceit has been successful for 250 years.
It's also coming to an end.
Political elites view the rise of social media with horror.
Sites like the chans help forces from outside the traditional mainstream.
Our rulers present the political divide as a clash of cosmopolitan liberals against the bigoted public.
But their real fear is that the new media threaten their hold over political debate.
Technological development is generally associated with economic progress.
But it is the rise of populism that explains the rapid recent shift in elite attitudes toward social media.
Given the elite’s fear and loathing of the public, it is no surprise that it is implementing measures to curb free expression – regulations relating to fake news, hate speech, copyright, data protection, child protection and alleged monopoly practices.
But the overall effect is to tighten state control over the new media at the expense of free expression and democracy.