An Examination of Actor-Network Theory in Computing: A Report

This report explores Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as a crucial framework for researching information systems within the context of modern computing. It examines the interactions between hardware, software, humans, and other actants. The report uses two computing news stories, one about Amazon's Fire tablet encryption and another about ransomware targeting Apple Macs, to illustrate ANT principles. It analyzes the roles of various actants, such as users, devices, and digital elements, in shaping outcomes and influencing behaviors. The report highlights the importance of the relationship between hardware and software, emphasizing the need for synchronized interactions to enhance system management and user experience. Ultimately, the report concludes that ANT provides a valuable lens for understanding the complexities of computing systems and the interconnectedness of their components.

IT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Task 1.........................................................................................................................................3
Computing News Story 1: 'Amazon makes U-turn over Fire tablet encryption'...................4
Computing News Story 2: Apple Macs hit by ransomware 'for first time'...........................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7
Appendix....................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
In the era of modern computing world, every actant acts on or is acted upon by at least
one other reactant, in order to fulfil the aims of the assemblage'. In the context of this
statement, different computing theories will be discussed in this report. The proposed essay
will lay its concern over Actor-network theory and argues upon the utility of this theory as
crucial tool for research of information systems. In addition to this, the connection between
software and hardware will also be analysed along with other categories of actants.
Furthermore, advantages and disadvantages of computing theories will also be determined by
critically reflecting the viewpoints of the critics and theorists.
TASK 1
Looking into the modern scenario of modernisation and technological advancement,
actor-network theory is becoming popular amongst IT researchers (Van der Duim, 2016).
Actor Network theory is a systematic framework and a social theory that originates in the
field of sociology, science and anthropology, treat objects as part of social networks.
Moreover, Actor-Network theory also supports the fact that, there is no such kind of
difference amongst human and non-human entities (Thompson, 2016). The theory
emphasizes over interactions between technologies, humans and information systems.
Furthermore, ANT also determines the integrity approach between human and non-human
things and recognises that there is a significant role of non-human actors in social networks,
as human actors do not control them.
In the present study, the utility of Actor-network theory will be enlightened by
representing in a graphical format (Silvis and Alexander, 2014). There are two views of
Actor-network theory which is captured; the first is actor-network theory model, whereby
networks of actors at specific time will be determined. The second view critically reflects
upon the nature of actor network which is considered dynamic. Furthermore, significant
events are recorded and according to the actor-network theory model, it is shown in the
timeline.
An actor in the ANT can be defined as entity, that do things; they are social entities
which either can be human, non human or tangible actors (Rydin and Tate, eds, 2016). The
actions of actors are recognised by the list of their performance. On the other hand, actants
are determinants of social outcomes and interactions that can be either humans or any
technical object. Thus, an Actor-network theory comprises of many actants and entities that

enter into the alliance to satisfy the desired aims and objectives. With the help of two
computing new stories, the aspects of Actor-network theories will be further explained.
Computing News Story 1: 'Amazon makes U-turn over Fire tablet encryption'
This story is of Amazon.com which is a leading internet-based retailer across the
world. In March 2016, Amazon pledged to restore the disk encryption security protection to
the operating systems of mobiles. After the emergence of this feature, the firm faced criticism
in the updating process to Fire OS (Kelion, 2016). Disk Encryption had became a topical
issue as Amazon also gave justification by stating that customers were not using that privacy
feature and due to this it is intended to re-introduce again. In accordance to the Actor-network
Theory, there are many actants which are involved in the story of Amazon which were angry
owners, humans, digital actant, computing assemblage, technical experts and professionals
(Latour, 2011). That is, users are human actants; phones/ tablets are hardware actants;
Encryption is digital actant, computing assemblage and Government is another user which
has been included in the story, whereas the actor is Amazon. All these actants have been
significantly contributing in the development of relationship for rendering protection against
disk encryption (Hooper, 2012). Amazon has removed the disk storage encryption on release
of Fire OS 5 which was also including the operating system along with Fire tablets and other
streaming devices. Meanwhile making the update of data encryption security available to
users, owners have found that it was not available. One of the angry owners, being actant
quoted that the act of deleting the crucial feature from the site of Amazon was unbelievable.
This story focused on the changing behaviour of Amazon, due to which its actants are highly
got affected. Technical actants are acting upon the users and changing their behaviour of
acting upon the acts of digital actants.
This feature of computer system can highly enhance management of the firm if there
is synchronized relationship between hardware and software (Davey and Adamopoulos,
2016). Hardware actants are employees, people, and computer system of Amazon, whereas,
software are considered as the applications, programs and coding which will provide great
assistance to the company in the formation, execution and implementation of encrypted
security in the computing as well as mobile devices. If there is no strong connection between
hardware and software Actants then, users will find it inconvenient for the site of
Amazon.com. Thus, it is required to make its app easier to use rather than removing the disk
security encryption protection system.

Computing News Story 2: Apple Macs hit by ransomware 'for first time'
This computing story is all about a kind of malware that has targeted Apple
computers. The ransomware is a kind of malware which had successfully targeted the Apple
Macs. It locks files of computers and charges fees for release of those. Here, in accordance to
the Actor-network Theory, the actor of this story is ransomware, which is affecting the files
of Apple computers. Security researchers from Palo Alto Networks believed that for the first
time, it happened that any malware attacked Macs (Kleinman, 2016). Transmission is a
version of BitTorrent client and a program that allows people to share and download their
files, movies or music with other computers. In transmission also, KeyRangers malware was
hidden which were affecting the data files (Contractor, Monge and Leonardi, 2011). Thus, the
digital actant of this story was; software actant was Transmission; Hardware actant was
Apple Macs; digital actant was encryption; DNS protocol which connects software of one
person's hardware with software of another person's hardware and structural actants were
BitTorrent Files, considered people as user (McDougall and et. al., 2016). The makers of
Apple and Transmission have taken effective steps to cease the spreading of malware as
many users of Macs were affected by that malware. With the implications of Actor-network
Theory, the software developers have made many efforts to prevent the software from being
infected if the users downloaded it. The actor, ransomware was highly affecting the
operations of computers of Apple and lowering down the sales of Macs.
Thus, it is required to have strong relationship between hardware and software in the
Actor-network theory. With the context of Apple, hardware actants were computers, people,
and technologies, whereas software actants were Mac OS X, malware code and debugging
programs. Apple can connect bits hardware with software actants by taking effective steps.
Apple's Mac OS is traditionally found to be secured system as it has more number of locked
system that the myriad of certain other devices that are running in the Windows OS. It has
been found that to write malware codes for Mac is a difficult task, as these computers are not
in common use to criminals, so they have to work very hard to attack them.
The Palo Alto network's chief security officer stated by observing the Mac threats,
that no environment is free from the threat of cyber attacks and crimes (Barry, 2013). The
number of hackers is continuously increasing with the change in technological and modern
environment. Thus, Apple needs to take effective steps to resolve this issue. The computing
story of Apple can influence the growth of its sales revenues and decrease customer base.
With the help of Actor-network Theory, the company is required to enhance its management
and link its hardware with softwares (Borgatti and Halgin, 2011). The huge contribution of

developers and technicians can resolve this issue and prevent their software’s from getting
infected on installation by people.
Thus from both stories, it is cleared that each and every act of actants that is acted
upon other reactants to fulfil the aim and objective of assembly will affect each other’s
operations. It has been also stated by Morozovs and Nicholas Carr that by dividing the world
into two distinctive parts; technological and non-technological, theoretical ideas about
technologies will be regressed by different theorists and author (Evgeny Morozov discovers
actor-network theory, 2015).
CONCLUSION
The Actor-network theory has successfully examined the distribution pattern of
competencies within the heterogeneous networks that are composed of non-human and
human actors. It has also been inferred from the above study that Networks and Actors are
mutually constitutive with each other in such a way that network defines and shapes the
actors who align themselves into a social network. The above study also concluded that
Actor-network Theory plays a crucial role to undergo with the aspect of several computing
theories.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Barry, A., 2013. The translation zone: Between actor-network theory and international
relations. Millennium-Journal of International Studies. 41(3). pp.413-429.
Borgatti, S.P. and Halgin, D.S., 2011. On network theory. Organization Science. 22(5).
pp.1168-1181.
Contractor, N., Monge, P. and Leonardi, P.M., 2011. Network Theory| Multidimensional
Networks and the Dynamics of Sociomateriality: Bringing Technology Inside the
Network. International Journal of Communication. 5. pp.39.
Davey, B. and Adamopoulos, A., 2016. Grounded Theory and Actor-Network Theory: A
Case Study. International Journal of Actor-Network Theory and Technological Innovation
(IJANTTI), 8(1), pp.27-33.
Hooper, L., 2012. Actor Network Theory.
Latour, B., 2011. Network Theory| Networks, Societies, Spheres: Reflections of an Actor-
network Theorist. International Journal of Communication. 5. p.15.
McDougall, A., and et. al., 2016. Collaboration and entanglement: An actor-network theory
analysis of team-based intraprofessional care for patients with advanced heart
failure.Social Science & Medicine, 164, pp.108-117.
Rydin, Y. and Tate, L. eds., 2016. Actor Networks of Planning: Exploring the Influence of
Actor Network Theory. Routledge.
Thompson, E., 2016. An Actor-Network Theory of Boundary Objects: Construction and
Disappearance.
Van der Duim, R., 2016. Actor-network theory. Encyclopedia of Tourism, pp.8-9.
Online
Evgeny Morozov discovers actor-network theory. 2015. [Online]. Available
through:<https://alper.nl/dingen/2015/03/evgeny-morozov-discovers-actor-network-
theory/>. [Accessed on 8th August 2016]
Kelion., Leo., 2016., Amazon makes U-turn over Fire tablet encryption. [Online]. Available
through:<http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35744338>. [Accessed on 8th August
2016]
Kleinman., Z., 2016., Apple Macs hit by ransomware 'for first time'. [Online]. Available
through:<http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35744416>. [Accessed on 8th August,
2016]
Silvis, E., and Alexander, P., 2014., Actor-network theory in information systems research.
[Online]. Available
through:<http://www.informationr.net/ir/19-2/paper617.html#.V6gfi1R97Qo>. [Accessed
on 8th August, 2016]

APPENDIX
Encryption: It can be defined as scrambling or coding of information and data, so
that it can be further decoded and understood. To secure websites and other mediums of
transfer of data and files, encryption is used.
Malware: It is malicious software which comprises of programs to damage or hack or
do other criminal actions on computer system.
Software: It is a technical term which describes the series of programs and other
operating information used in the computer system.
Hardware: The physical components, machinery and wiring of computer system are
called as hardware.