Why in the News?

Former Indian Vice President raised concerns of digital colonialism stating dependence on foreign digital infrastructure and not invasion as the prime threat to sovereignty.

About Digital Colonialism

• Meaning: It is a theoretical framework that establishes the primacy in digital technologies by Big tech companies that extract, analyse and own user data for their own profit and market influence. 
• It includes the decentralised capture and management of data from individuals, with or without their explicit consent, threatening state and individual autonomy.

Key Pillars of Dominance characterising Digital Colonialism

• Economic domination: Big corporations seize the resources of foreign countries by creating technological dependencies. 
  • E.g., monopoly over search engines (Google); desktop operating systems (Microsoft Windows); social networking platforms (Facebook, Twitter); etc. 
• Imperial Control of Architecture: Proprietary software and non-free licensing regime restrict modification/access for other nations, locking them out of digital self-sufficiency.
  • E.g., App Store policies (Apple/Google) exercise unilateral decisions over what apps and features are allowed.
• Global Surveillance Capitalism: Advanced data science and machine learning enable corporations to track user behaviour and make favourable business decisions based on global surveillance.
  • E.g., Facebook enabled mass data harvesting by third parties like Cambridge Analytica, influencing elections.
• Tech hegemony: Few big tech firms steer the narrative around how technology should expand and define the economic ramifications of such an expansion. 
  • E.g., Amazon (AWS), Microsoft (Azure), and Google Cloud control a vast majority of worldwide cloud service, giving them unparalleled power over global data storage, processing, and analytics.
• Cultural Imperialism: Depicted in the homogeneity and superiority of technologies owned by few and underpinning values, language, and culture of others. 
  • E.g., Content curation and algorithmic bias on social platforms prioritize content that aligns with dominant cultural values.
• Discourse of 'benevolence': Framing digital technologies as evidently good, connectivity as progress and human rights.
  • E.g., Facebook's "Free Basics" rollout in Africa positioned as philanthropy was criticized for potentially serving as a tool to expand market share and acquire user data.

Key Issues with Digital Colonialism

• Rising North-South Disparity: Rapid digitalization, fuelled by data monetization practices, has exacerbated significant disparities as most technology giants are stationed in the North. 
• National Security: Inadequate local infrastructure exposes critical sectors to vulnerabilities and foreign manipulation.
• Privacy & Digital Rights: Reliance on foreign digital platforms risks violations of privacy and digital rights, including threat of targeted state surveillance.
• Existential Threat to Local Business: Dominance by global platforms undermines competition in online ads, transport, retail, and news, risking indigenous enterprise survival.
• Economic losses: Digital tech giants use Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) to move profits to low or no-tax countries with little real business there, reducing taxes in countries like India.
• Difficulty in Regulation: Existing legal instruments are incapable of regulating cyberspace due to its transboundary nature. 
• Network Effect: Once platforms reach critical mass, exponential growth locks in users—stifling local competition.

Way Forward

• Digital sovereignty: States must exercise authority over all its digital assets, including the entire value chain of data, infrastructure, operations, supply chain, and knowledge.
• Data Localisation: Data to only be stored, transferred and processed within national borders and legal jurisdictions. 
• Comprehensive Framework for Governance: Develop frameworks for data generation, protection, sharing, and infrastructure.
• Managing Cross Border Data Flows: Countries must continuously calibrate their policies to balance growth, public interest, and global tech integration.
• Reforming the Data Lifecycle: Integrated management from creation to destruction/reuse for optimum utilization.
• Inclusive Digital Future: Bridging digital divide, promoting inclusivity and upholding ethical standards essential for the benefit of entire mankind. 

Conclusion

The regulatory landscape surrounding digital sovereignty is quite complex and has caused countries to respond through measures like splinternet that fragments the internet along geopolitical lines. Considering the importance of global digital communication and connectivity, diplomatic efforts are needed for ensuring digital solidarity.