1. Introduction
In 2019 at the CyFyAfrica conference members seriously discuss and promote African digitalization in all aspects of life. The participants underlined the importance of being a part of global digital discourse and what a true all-inclusive industry 4.0 will possibly look like. The year before 2019 the same conference took place in Morocco held more than 100 speakers from more than 40 countries from the developing part of the world. The aim of discussion was pointing toward issues such as inclusive, access, opportunity of cyberspace etc. Furthermore, the steps such as reliance on Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic technology in developing countries specifically in Asia and Africa was discussed. The discussion suggested aforementioned technologies as a society shaping paradigm, bringing possible solutions to gender, race, ethnic etc. issues (CyFyAfrica, 2019).
However, it seems that the 2018 conference was criticized for not being concerned or not being clear enough about terms of trust to both digital industries and governmental institutions controlling them. The proposal for resolution of “trust” debates suggested recalibration of existing norms including business practices and regulatory frameworks, pointing to the critical importance of emerging African voice amplification. What was missed in 2018 was addressed in the 2019 CyFyAfrica conference. In 2019 it was different, the cooperation of journalists, ethicists, ministers, civil society representatives came together with technology giants for the reason to debate Africa-centred data, digitalization, new media, new norms, innovation etc. all for the purpose of the region’s digital future (CyFyAfrica, 2019).
2. Following the road of digitalization
Birhane (2019) underlines that those who advocate for total digitalization of everyday life are good at bringing rational explanations concerning benefits of digitalization. There is no doubt that data can be a bridge between inequalities, social norms, political and economic narratives. Data also can provide equality, amplify voices of desperate, support or even launch structural reorganizations and reforms. But, the advocates for digitalization are pushing to hard those narratives which are ready to digitize all the aspects of our life at any cost. Birhane (2019) called such advocates a “Tech evangelists” emphasizing that CyFy 2019 have nothing new in terms of digitalization rhetoric and will lead to a blind, irrational acceptance of so-called digitalization under the flag of innovation, game changing, better future, etc. forgetting to mention negative aspects of such decisions. Perhaps the decision of total digitalization of your life is too great to be taken solely by the politicians and techno giants. Hintz et al., (2023) explains the notion of participation and engagement in decision making processes, people want and certainly have rights to engage in decision making processes specifically connected to technologies which can have a great impact on their everyday lives. At this point of time, we have enough of examples from the rest of the world where the technological giant holding the power of technological future in their hands. Perhaps “Africa need not go through its own disastrous cautionary tales to discover the dark side of digitization and technologization of every aspect of life” (Birhane, 2019).
Engagement with datafication processes can be seen from at least two perspectives of consequences for the population. The first one will be a top-down effect on the population and different groups of people. The second one is a bottom-up process. The first one (top-down) processes can be described as several and various consequences on the lives of people including governmental surveillance, platform capitalism, corporate data gathering, discrimination by algorithms. On the other hand, the second (bottom-up) process which includes socio-technical participation of individual users and general participation of civil society which are aware of the issues regarding datafication but also aware of democratic opportunities and opportunities of empowerment opened by the same datafication process (Beraldo & Milan, 2019). Shelby & Henne (2022) seems to support aforementioned statements concerning top-down discriminatory processes, underlining that critical observation of “SMART” technologies such as AI or big data collection are not simply a threat to facilitate and systematize discrimination, but a unified instrument for racism dissemination.
The CyFyAfrica 2019 continuously propagates cooperation between politics and technological giants pointing to the necessity of recalibration of existing norms. Such behaviour explains by Beraldo & Milan (2019), The engagement with a datafication demands both technological and political participation where technological sector responsible for technology, fixes and software development and political sector responsible for redefinition of culture and power relations. However, both sectors are entangled in the process of argumentative politics regarding data, technology is always embedded with politics and politics is always concerned about technological infrastructure and processes.
3. Can we trust you?
As this essay mentioned earlier the CyFyAfrica 2108 conference was criticized for neglecting such an issue as trust in technologies and in institutions that manage those technologies.
The whole idea about data management and trust is to build a bridge based on relation between providers of individual data and the powerful entities which collect and process that data. The data collectors must operate on behalf of those who provide data, considering their voice regarding handling of collected data. Moreover, in some parts of the world the existing data stewardship models in datafied society broadly advancing civic participation in datafication processes, still, those models are not perfect and require political, societal and regulatory responses when datafication process start to affect the core processes in society (Hintz et al., 2023).
3.1 Shaping my reality.
Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, CyFyAfrica conference suggests that to resolve debates concerning questions of “Trust” demand recalibration of existing norms. Yet, Cinnamon (2019) argues that those who create data simultaneously shape it into perception of their own subjectivities and further affect all layers of real-world reality. The process of sharing, producing and preserving data inevitably recalibrates and reshapes all aspects of the world around such a process. Therefore, those who produce data are empowered to shape the world according to their visions and agendas in comparison to those who solely consume produced data and produced products deriving from such data.
Following the aforementioned CyFyAfrica logic of equation (Recalibration of existing norms = road to Trust) might look like a self-resolving mechanism. According to Cinnamon (2019), simple datafication processes will automatically initiate recalibration of existing norms and reshape the reality. Hence, the primary question of “Trust” will no longer be actual or should be resolved on its own?
Nevertheless, Birhane (2019) emphasizes that the freedom of privacy and trust in technological and administrative institutions can be achieved through inclusion, local values, ways of life and critical voices. But, even if CyfyAfrica did allow some critical voices to be heard, they were suppressed by the majority of tech supporters (Birhane, 2019). Interestingly, Abeba Birhane, a PhD candidate at University College Dublin was one those speakers at CyFyAfrica 2019 conference. Birhane shared her experience by saying “Like other speakers … when I submitted a version of this essay, it was deemed too critical … unsuitable for publication. Ironically, the platform that claims to give voice to the youth of Africa only does so when that voice aligns with the narratives and motives of the powerful tech companies, policy makers, and governments.” (Birhane, 2019).
4. Ecosystem of new colonization
The conference also highlighted the overall global discourse toward digitalization, questioning how a future truly inclusive and vibrant industry 4.0 ecosystem will look like? (CyFyAfrica, 2019). Hintz et al., (2023) might have a good point regarding such a question stating that three years of research in a similar field showed that in general citizens are unaware of crucial key aspects of the digital ecosystem. Thus, unawareness intensifies the power of imbalance between data collectors, big tech etc. and data providers (citizens). Although citizens are often concerned about the operation of the digital ecosystem, they are not deeply engaged to change something due to the lack of confidence and overall abilities to address such issues.
At this point it is clear that CyFyAfrica propagates for digitalization of the African continent underlining possibilities and advantages, omitting negative aspects. Although one particular question seems to be very intriguing, how mass digitization and data collection will affect international aid and vital development projects for the African region?
Anantharajah (2021) stressed the potential usage of data as an instrument of colonization in the context of development projects. As example: data might cause to withdraw or withhold resources, data is essential part of foundation and legitimisation of the development projects and a big part of launching and preparation activities of those projects. As a result of such data interpretation, it might have a huge impact on communities dependent on development interventions. Birhane (2019) highlighting the discourse of data mining, emphasizing that mining people for data is reminiscent of colonizers behaviour, specifically in Africa tech companies taking data for granted, considering data as their property as soon as they can grab it. Read et al.,(2016) questioning the fundamentals of ethics result from data mining and arising debates concerning such issues.
“Technology in general is never either neutral or objective; it is a mirror that reflects societal bias, unfairness, and injustice” (Birhane, 2019).
5. Conclusion
This essay underlining the initial interest of digitalization and datafication of the African region, still the question is who will benefit and why the advocates of Big Tech are pushing so hard to follow the world discourse of digitalization by all means. The CyFyAfrica conference seems to be a wolf in the sheep skin underlining importance of voice, inclusiveness, economic opportunities etc. yet, omitting the critical questions regarding trust in technologies and institutions watching over those technologies. The notion “recalibration of existing norms” undoubtedly lifting some ethical questions about it. The questions are what kind of existing norms are you about to change, how it might affect the population, do the population agree on such terms? And other myriads of possible questions. Not to mention how datafication processes might affect development projects and communities depending on development intervention (Anantharajah, 2021). Birhane (2019) warning digitalization vultures and tech evangelists about unpredictable consequences they cannot foresee at this point of time blindly raising their hands for the digital colonization.
6. Blogging reflection
The idea of blogging was very new to me despite that blogging is one of the oldest forms of communication and social media. It seems that even though blogging has been out there since forever it is still a very narrow tool of communication specifically nowadays. Of course, I am not talking about Facebook or Instagram blogging but more about initial WordPress type of blogging. For me as a person who is very much familiar with computers and social networks, blogging was always an anachronism but, I guess it all depends on the person. As for the learning experience I conclude that it was more interesting in terms of socialization, role-delegation inside the group rather than connection with the world out there. I personally learned good lessons from group work and unfortunately due to some disagreements within the group I do not identify myself with a final blog image. The technical part of the blog was something to learn but will probably never be used by me in real life. The learning outcome of the project is unusual and new, nothing similar was done during my education before. The academic field connected to the blogging together with the technical part of the project is a complex combination which requires different skills and approaches, no surprise the delegation of responsibilities within the group is a vital process.
My personal opinion is that blogging is a long-term project which is hard to develop and perhaps understand under the limited time which was given to us. Despite aforementioned, blogging exercise indeed was something completely new for me and I participated with pleasure.
References
- Anantharajah, K. (2021). Racial formation, coloniality, and climate finance organizations: Implications for emergent data projects in the Pacific. Big Data & Society, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517211027600 (Accessed 2023-10-20).
- Beraldo, D., & Milan, S. (2019). From data politics to the contentious politics of data. Big Data & Society, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951719885967 (Accessed 2023-10-20).
- Birhane, A., (2019). The Algorithmic Colonization of Africa. Startups are importing and imposing AI systems founded on individualistic and capitalist drives. https://reallifemag.com/the-algorithmic-colonization-of-africa/ (Accessed 2023-10-20).
- Cinnamon, J. (2020). Data inequalities and why they matter for development, Information Technology for Development, 26:2, 214-233, DOI: 10.1080/02681102.2019.1650244 (Accessed 2023-10-22).
- CyFy Africa, (2019). The conference on technology, innovation & society. https://www.orfonline.org/cyfy-africa/ (Accessed 2023-10-19).
- Hintz, A., Dencik, L., Redden, J., Emiliano Trere, E. (2023). Civic Participation in the Datafied Society. Civic Participation in the Datafied Society—Introduction https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/21453 (Accessed 2023-10-20).
- Read, R., Taithe, B., Ginty, R.M. (2016.) Data hubris? Humanitarian information systems and the mirage of technology, Third World Quarterly, 37:8, 1314-1331, DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2015.1136208 (Accessed 2023-10-21).
- Shelby, R., & Henne, K. (2022). Situating questions of data, power, and racial formation. Big Data & Society, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517221090938 (Accessed 2023-10-22).