digital society

Who “owns” data? Who should have access to them or rights to exploit them?

I’ve spent some time reflecting on the way we’ve thought about the internet and digitalisation over three decades, and how we may need to think differently in future. What assumptions have we made; and what assumptions should we make, about its relationship with politics and geopolitics?

We are proud to be nominated, along with several other members of the APC network, for this year’s #GoodID Awards, convened by the Omidyar Network.

Internet connectivity is becoming part and parcel of humans’ lives all over the globe, but the story in underdeveloped countries is different and not encouraging. With persistent engagement and advocacy visits by CITAD, progress on setting up community networks in Nigeria has been made.

Look back at the early days of digital enthusiasm, and you’ll find many assumptions. “Good things” (or opportunities) were often emphasised in digital literature back then; less good things (or risks) less so.

I’ve never really liked the term ‘the digital divide’. Alliteration’s easy. It gains attention to an issue, which is good, but it also oversimplifies.

Last week I wrote about how we define the internet. This week, some thoughts about its history and its trajectory. The internet has been around now long enough for its history to be written.

How do we assess the internet environment in different countries?