The illusion of a borderless Internet

Almost a decade ago now, McDonald's made a seemingly innocuous decision. On the side of Happy Meals distributed in Morocco in 2008, it put a small map of the region. The map showed a border between the disputed territory of Western Sahara and Morocco — a vision of reality that differed from, among other accounts, Morocco's official stance.

The controversy led to protest and, eventually, an official apology from the company.

Anyone who has ever spun an old globe in a flea market understands the ever-changing nature of geopolitics. Although as children we may have been taught a geography of fixed and everlasting borders, we grow to learn as adults that all maps are political constructions, constantly changing and rife with political biasesThe "wrong" map could literally start a war. Read more...