Inside the digital society

David Souter writes a weekly column for APC, looking at different aspects of the information society, development and rights. David’s pieces take a fresh look at many of the issues that concern APC and its members, with the aim of provoking discussion and debate. Issues covered include internet governance and sustainable development, human rights and the environment, policy, practice and the use of ICTs by individuals and communities.

Inside the Digital Society: How transformative is now – for society and for the digital society?
Inside the Digital Society: How transformative is now – for society and for the digital society? 30 March 2020 David Souter

This is the third in a series of blogs about implications of the corona virus for the digital society. This week, some thoughts on future governance. Part two of these next week.

Inside the Digital Society: Inequality, the internet and the corona crisis
Inside the Digital Society: Inequality, the internet and the corona crisis 23 March 2020 David Souter

In the current corona crisis, it’s important that we focus on the future as well as on the present. The digital will play a big part in recovery.  

Inside the Digital Society: Going viral
Inside the Digital Society: Going viral 16 March 2020 David Souter

The priority at present isn’t digital, but like anything today the coronavirus crisis has implications that are so: how does the digital world impinge on the coronavirus?; how might the coronavirus affect the digital world?

Inside the Digital Society: The press, the internet and politics
Inside the Digital Society: The press, the internet and politics 02 March 2020 David Souter

Political information and communication ecosystems have been changing lately. In many countries, social media and other online sources have been displacing newspapers and broadcasting, especially among the young. David Souter shares some thoughts on the implications of this for press freedom and why it matters.

Inside the Digital Society: Digital inclusion and social inclusion
Inside the Digital Society: Digital inclusion and social inclusion 23 February 2020 David Souter

In this week's column, David Souter explores how in the digital world we often assume that digital access improves access to services. And so it does – for most people in most cases, but not for all in all. Those designing policies and plans for digital access to public (and private) services should remember always that the real aim is access to services not digitalisation, he states.

Inside the Digital Society: Measuring the impact of ICTs on development
Inside the Digital Society: Measuring the impact of ICTs on development 17 February 2020 David Souter

The world thirty years from now will be as different from today, in terms of its technology, as today’s world is from that of the early twentieth century. Digitalisation’s changes will interact with others, especially with climate change and with the shifting sands of geopolitics.

Inside the Digital Society: Responsible innovation
Inside the Digital Society: Responsible innovation 10 February 2020 David Souter

What do we mean, at a time of growing environmental crisis, by responsible innovation?

Inside the Digital Society: The climate for digital development
Inside the Digital Society: The climate for digital development 04 February 2020 David Souter

Predicting the future’s hard but there are two global trends that seem fairly certain. Digitalisation and climate change are likely to shape our future more than anything else that we can see at present. How are they linked? Or, to put it another way, why aren’t they linked more?

Inside the Digital Society: A world without work?
Inside the Digital Society: A world without work? 27 January 2020 David Souter

This week, I’ll comment on a new view of long-term employment and unemployment in the digital age, from Oxford economist Daniel Susskind. A World Without Work, he calls it. I’ll agree with his core arguments but challenge the optimism of his conclusion.

Inside the Digital Society: Everything changes, everything stays the same
Inside the Digital Society: Everything changes, everything stays the same 20 January 2020 David Souter

Two things are clear: how much has changed in terms of the technology and how little’s changed in public discourse.

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