Risky Networks

Risky Networks

A blog recognizing that a risky network anywhere is a threat to society everywhere.

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Welcome to our blog Risky Networks!

Our world is made up of various networks that serve to improve global livelihoods. However, each network has its own set of challenges. We – four students of Malmö University – founded Risky Networks to focus on the challenges or possible dangers that could emerge in digital communication networks in the international development field, across social media, data and new media. Though often considered coined “ICT4Bad”, Risky Networks presents weekly balanced arguments on this phenomena for 6 weeks. Enjoy reading!

Tech-for-development – an app galore to solve the refugee crisis

#digitalfailure / #ict.gov / #infodemic / #movements / #socialmedia

This series of articles elucidates the consequences of what limited access to information and the ever-growing spread of misinformation have on the most vulnerable groups of the society. In this final blog post I will bring together the topics of my previous four blog posts. I will explore the concepts …

ICT4Bad: A Reflection on Critical ICT4D Discourse

#digitalfailure / #ict.gov / #infodemic / #socialmedia

According to Richard Heeks in Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D), in ICT4D, technology “is used to help deliver on the international development agenda” (Heeks, 2017:18).  Such technologies, could provide added benefits or affordances to developing societies such as digital information and new forms of communication as well as …

Forecasting pitfalls – Facebook and the development of our digitized world

#socialmedia

While I am writing down this blog post, there probably is a tense atmosphere in the offices of Facebook in the United States. Facebook is struggling. Struggling to not negatively affect the US presidential elections, struggling to prevent misinformation, voters’ suppression, and foreign manipulations. After harsh critiques on the role …

Development and social change embedded as a part of ordinary social media use – What is the problem?

#digitalfailure / #movements / #recently / #socialmedia

In the NMICT course, I wanted to address an important and much-discussed topic in communication for development, representations of development, but instead of analyzing its role within the field of development, to broaden my perspective on representations of development in society at large. This perspective allowed me to tie my …

Internet.org: Facebook’s approach to “connecting the world”

#digitalfailure / #socialmedia

On the website of Internet.org, Facebook and its partners display their noble goals: Internet.org was founded to bring internet to all people, to connect them and to improve their lives by offering online access. But not all projects by internet.org are actually welcomed in the Global South.

Risky Networks Weekly Review – 25 October 2020

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This week, Richaela discusses Aadhaar, India’s national biometric identification system, data injustice, and how it reproduces inequalities for historically disadvantaged groups. In Aadhaar India: When well-intentioned innovation marginalizes, Richaela dives into the history of Aadhaar and discusses a few case studies, which highlight how the ID system misses the mark …