This article by Ina Holev is a helpful summary of some ways that access to the internet offers a form of digital colonialism. In particular it singles out Facebook’s “Free Basics” as an example of individuals having to give up their personal information in order to receive access to the internet, a form of colonialism that many of us now take for granted. Holev also describes the challenge of Wikipedia being largely authored and edited by a majority of contributors from the “Global North”. This is the first time I have encountered the use of the terms “Global North” and “Global South” in terms of wealth distribution, and I find it problematic, in looking more at this, I find the terms overly broad and generalizing and found this article helpful in unpicking the terms. Regardless of naming, what is described is a disparity between certain countries (and specific corporate interests within those countries) dominating the content and knowledge that is accessible on the internet.
The article also asks the important question “is knowledge only of value if it’s archived on the internet?” highlighting the bias of written knowledge. For oral narrative traditions, it makes me wonder if recorded, or live video would ever be able to meet the needs of an oral narrative tradition. I wonder if instead, the sharing of space with the narrator/storyteller is an inseparable component of the tradition?
References
Holev, I. (2020, January). Decolonise the Internet. (J. Beckett, Trans.)Latitude: Rethinking Power Relations – for a Decolonised and Non-Racial World. Goethe Institut. https://www.goethe.de/prj/lat/en/dis/21753740.html.