"With our modern world relying more and more on Internet-based technologies, this timely book takes a renewed look at the ever-increasing digital divide between developing and more technologically advanced countries and the resulting impacts on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Jef
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frey James conducts a methodological and conceptual review of the patterns and shortfalls arising from the technological divide between countries, recommending a more proactive response for countries that are struggling to minimise the gap. He juxtaposes the current usage of technology coupled with the prohibitive cost of accessing the Internet in the Global South against the cost of living in poverty, the lack of literacy, and learned digital skills. The book addresses these key issues and investigates the current gender disparity, offering solutions for implementing low-cost policies such as the recent successful launch of the inexpensive JioPhone handset." (Publisher description)
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"This report is an invitation to grapple with the complex interplay between infrastructure, media systems, civil society, and public sector institutions. Our findings suggest that effective policy solutions must: acknowledge the historical, political, economic, and social forces that shape informati
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on flows and sociotechnical systems; develop holistic approaches that consider the entire ecosystem rather than isolated interventions; understand how data governance and AI systems fundamentally influence information production, dissemination, and consumption; use a wider array of authorities and policy tools to create legal, regulatory and normative frameworks that protect democratic values while empowering communities and individuals who are embedded in increasingly opaque sociotechnical systems. By exploring both individual-level phenomena and systemic dynamics, this report suggests how legislative, regulatory, competition, education and other public authorities as well as tech platforms and citizens themselves all have a role to play in cultivating information ecosystems where democracy can better thrive." (Foreword by Courtney Radsch, page v-vi)
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"Ist Künstliche Intelligenz nur eine weitere Entwicklung der Digitalisierung des Alltags, eine effiziente Software in einer „Cloud“? Die KI-Forscherin Kate Crawford entlarvt diese verharmlosende Vorstellung und beleuchtet die konkreten Auswirkungen der Technologie auf die physische Welt. Ihre R
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echerche bietet Einblicke in den Bergbau, wo für die KI reale Ressourcen wie Gestein, Lithium-Sole und Erdöl abgebaut werden, und in Logistik-Zentren, wo menschliche Arbeitskraft für Unternehmensgewinne ausgebeutet werde. Künstliche Intelligenz gehe, so Crawford, mit Umweltzerstörung und Raubbau an der Natur sowie sozialer Ungerechtigkeit einher, etwa der Ausbeutung von Clickworkern. Zudem basiere Künstliche Intelligenz auf einer Klassifizierung von Daten, die keineswegs einer objektiven Logik folge, sondern Hierarchien perpetuiere und Ungleichheiten verstärke. Angesichts dieser Verzerrungen könne KI nicht als neutrale Technologie angesehen werden, deren Probleme wiederum durch weitere technische Innovationen gelöst werden können. Vielmehr seien politische Regulierung, demokratische Kontrolle und die Einbeziehung der von Vorurteilen, Diskriminierung und Ausbeutung Betroffenen erforderlich. Die bereits existierenden Gefahren der Technologien für Privatsphäre, Menschenrechte, Natur und Arbeitswelt seien weitaus bedrohlicher als die von manchen befürchtete Entwicklung einer künstlichen Superintelligenz." (Back cover)
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"Este libro es el resultado de un trabajo colectivo llevado a cabo por cuatro filósofos que habitan diferentes puntos de Latinoamérica, reunidos a partir de su interés por el campo de tensiones que se despliega entre las tradiciones humanistas y las perspectivas poshumanistas. Los capítulos prob
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lematizan el modo en el cual tópicos diversos son hoy atravesados por tendencias transformadoras: modificaciones en los regímenes de producción de la verdad, cambios en las prácticas religiosas, apertura de nuevas posibilidades para la creación artística, reconceptualizaciones ontológicas que cuestionan el antropocentrismo. Por debajo de esta pluralidad de temas subyace una cuestión urgente: deslindar si lo humano ha sido perimido, abandonado y superado, o si, por el contrario, ha logrado traducirse dentro de estos nuevos horizontes. Los ensayos aquí reunidos aspiran a ser justamente eso: exploraciones, pruebas y tentativas que podrían quedar resueltas en sí mismas, o bien funcionar como el punto de partida de otras indagaciones. Estos textos se hacen cargo de la incertidumbre que los motiva y los atraviesa. Pero hay algo que no se resigna en ninguno de ellos: la búsqueda de un camino de reflexión filosófica sustentado en la experiencia del pensamiento conjunto." (Descripción de la casa editorial)
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"The article aims to theorize about critical data studies with Latin America beyond the framework of data colonialism, arguing that the long history of social thought in the region can contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the datafication. It discusses views around dependence, oppressions,
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and liberation, debating how Latin American authors can be useful for current critical data studies, in a more nuanced and complex vision. It presents the theoretical contributions of Lelia Gonzalez, dependency theorists and Enrique Dussel. Dependency theorists criticize evolutionary frameworks of development and can contribute to discussions around data sovereignty and overexploitation of labor. Gonzalez contributes to a complex vision of Amefrica Ladina, articulating multiple forms of oppression. Enrique Dussel presents a theory of technology considering totality and proposes an ethics of liberation that can be related to alternatives toward data justice and data commons. All theoretical frameworks contribute to thinking about datafication with Latin America not as an isolated phenomenon, but in relation to other countries in the world, and as an analytical key for the construction of alternatives. All perspectives are related to current debates on critical data studies and can make an important contribution to the construction of critical theories about data that consider Latin America also as a site of knowledge production." (Abstract)
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"[...] How does the sub-Saharan African philosophy of Ubuntu bring the concept of digital coloniality to light? The main aim of the article is to define the concepts of digital colonialism and digital coloniality, to provide clear examples thereof and to provide some guidelines for corrective interv
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entions and future theorisation on the phenomenon. The research is a conceptual study and concludes that the intended enforcement of Eurocentric software to maintain a postcolonial state can be regarded as digital colonialism. While unintended, the use of global software in indigenous communities can also often have negative effects." (Abstract)
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"China’s emergence as a technology leader has become a major factor in geopolitics, transforming global political and economic relationships. In its bid to achieve digital great power status, China’s government has reformed laws and policies, drastically increased investment, and become more ass
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ertive internationally. Chinese companies have expanded at home and abroad, but relationships between government and the private sector have sometimes been fractious. The Emergence of China’s Smart State assesses the extent to which the Chinese government has been able to achieve its ambitious digital goals, and more broadly, how this reflects rapidly changing domestic and international political and economic dynamics surrounding China’s rise as a major technology player. This is the first book of its kind, interrogating the complex, dynamic interactions between political, market, and technological factors that structure China’s digital development." (Publisher description)
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"For nations to make the most of digital technology, governments must play their role. Formal education is becoming increasingly important. Yes, some apps serve illiterate people, but those who read have access to far more information. International discourse is held in languages like English, Frenc
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h and Spanish. Those who only speak a vernacular cannot take full advantage of the World Wide Web.
In its early stages, the digital economy thrived in a largely unregulated sphere. Even in the 1990s, Silicon Valley companies were still known for not doing much lobbying in Washington. Now they are lobbying giants. The anti-trust proceedings against Microsoft were the turning point. In yet another epsiode of economic history, it had become clear that leaving things to market forces would lead to monopolistic dominance. Accordingly, the tech companies now want to shape political discourse. We actually need better international regulation. Profit-maximising corporate giants are running social media platforms that have become indispensable for public debate, at both national and international levels. The companies make the rules. They are free to decide whether they want to ban liars and propagandists, and it is up to them whether they apply their own rules consistently. All too often, they do not. Hate speech remains unchecked in many cases. Antidemocratic propaganda abounds. Content moderation is typically not done in African or Asian languages. Freedom House, the Washington-based pro-democracy initiative, warns that an increasing number of governments are restricting civic liberties online. Human rights are indivisible, however, and need to be defended in international and multilateral settings.
Humanity is facing huge challenges including global heating. Digital technology can help us get a grip on some of the problems. But if we want technology to serve the common good, we cannot simply leave application to market forces. Regulation must not obstruct progress, but it must ensure that oligarchic corporate interests do not become obstructive. And that, obviously, applies to artificial intelligence too." (Editorial page 3)
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"The first State of the Digital Decade report takes stock of the EU’s progress towards a successful digital transformation for people, businesses, and the environment as set out in the Decision establishing the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030 (“the Digital Decade Decision”). It reviews di
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gital policy developments and describes how the EU is advancing towards the agreed targets and objectives, thus outlining where the EU stands at the outset of the implementation of the Digital Decade Policy Programme. The overall analysis of the EU’s progress against the Digital Decade objectives and targets is shown in Figure 1 and the country reports presented in an annex to this report provide a more detailed picture." (Introduction)
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"This Charter outlines normative directions and an action agenda for a feminist approach to digital transformation, based on wide-ranging consultations with nearly 100 participants from the Global South. It calls for key principles of digital governance – openness, freedom and security – to serv
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e as a guide in attaining constructive pluralism, equitable and just societies, and flourishing futures across our planet. It asserts that the UN Global Digital Compact must secure state and corporate accountability for protecting women’s human rights in the digital age, a new global social contract for a socially just digital transition, and institutional arrangements to ensure network and data resources become part of the commons." (Title page)
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"This annotated bibliography compiles relevant literature on information disorders in Africa published in peer-reviewed academic journals in English. It is organised into several thematic sections, and has a particular focus on Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. While one must not lose sight of the d
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iscursive genealogy of information disorder, its political potency, and history of material arrangements that propagate its discourses, by information disorders we mean processes where rapid technological and media changes provide opportunities for revanchist forces to produce online content to stall democratic social change. Put simply, information disorders feed into de-democratisation processes (cf. Wardle and Derakhshan 2017, also see specific critique by Bontcheva and Posetti 2020). Similarly, Herman Wasserman (2022) speaks of information disorder as a phenomenon that coincides with the collapse of the independent commercial press. This collapse leaves few organised and professional sources of information about society, and can lead to authoritarians taking advantage of the situation. Given the variety of institutional and infrastructural arrangements, there are particular circumstances where platforms may amplify or reduce information disorders." (Introduction)
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"Mobile connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to drive digital transformation and socioeconomic advancements. This underlines the need for continued efforts to address the persisting barriers that impact mobile internet adoption in the region, particularly the affordability of devices, online
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safety concerns and the lack of digital skills. Meanwhile, authorities and enterprises see an opportunity to leverage growing 4G and 5G networks, alongside emerging technologies such as AI and IoT, to enhance productivity and efficiency in service delivery. The adoption of 4G has accelerated in recent years, partly driven by the growing demand for faster speeds among younger consumers. Over the next five years, 4G adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa will more than double to 45%. 5G momentum is also growing, although the initial focus for 5G deployment is on urban areas and industrial locations, where there is greater need for the technology. 5G is expected to benefit the Sub-Saharan Africa economy by $11 billion in 2030, accounting for more than 6% of the overall economic impact of mobile." (Executive summary)
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"Digital transformations have had catalytic efects on African and European governance, economies, and societies, and will continue to do so. The COVID-19 pandemic has already accelerated the penetration of digital tools all over the globe and is likely to be perceived as a critical juncture in how a
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nd to what purpose the world accepts and uses new and emerging technologies. This book ofers a holistic analysis of how Africa and Europe can manage and harness digital transformation as partners in a globalised world. The authors shed light on issues ranging from economic growth, youth employment, and gender, to regulatory frameworks, business environments, entrepreneurship, and interest-driven power politics. They add much-needed perspectives to the debates that shape the two continents’ digital transformation and innovation environments." (Publisher description)
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"Whether you are a policy-maker, business leader or tech enthusiast, this report provides valuable insights into the current state of the national digital landscape and its potential to shape the future. It provides constructive recommendations, roadmaps and comprehensive opportunities to strengthen
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capacities and accelerate digital transformation. With the ever-evolving digital landscape, it will be an essential tool for all key stakeholders of North Macedonia who are looking to stay ahead of the curve and be at the forefront of the national digital revolution." (Foreword by Azir Aliu, Minister of Information Society and Administration, Republic of North Macedonia)
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