Webinar: Digital Colonialism with Dr. Michael Kwet
Webinar Overview
Date and Time: December 8th, 2023 , 17:00 GMT
Location: Zoom (link shared after registration)
On December 8th, 2023, Data for Policy presented its first standalone Zoom talk on Digital Colonialism in collaboration with UCL’s Critical Digital Studies Reading Group, organized by Naigwe Kalema and Josh Entsminger. The event featured Dr. Michael Kwet, a renowned scholar and Visiting Fellow at Yale Law School’s Information Society Project.
In this enlightening session, Dr. Kwet explored the concept of digital colonialism, discussing the moral and geopolitical dilemmas associated with digital infrastructures and the global digital economy. He examined how powerful nations and corporations exert control over digital resources, often at the expense of the Global South, and highlighted the ethical concerns surrounding these dynamics.
About Speaker
Dr. Michael Kwet, Visiting Fellow at Yale Law School’s Information Society Project and author of “Digital Colonialism: US Empire and the New Imperialism in the Global South.” Dr. Kwet’s work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Al Jazeera, The Intercept, VICE News, and Wired. His upcoming book, The Cambridge Handbook of Race and Surveillance, will be published by Cambridge University Press.
Webinar Highlights
- Dr. Kwet discussed his groundbreaking work, “Digital Colonialism: US Empire and the New Imperialism in the Global South,” and the broader implications of digital empire-building.
- The session addressed how digital infrastructures contribute to global inequalities and raised critical questions about sovereignty and digital governance in developing regions.
- The event concluded with an engaging Q&A session, where attendees had the opportunity to interact directly with Dr. Kwet.
Following the talk, UCL’s Critical Digital Studies Reading Group continued the discussion by analyzing Dr. Kwet’s work, “Digital Colonialism: The Evolution of US Empire,” as featured in ROAR Magazine.
This event was a part of Data for Policy’s efforts to promote deeper understanding and dialogue on the impact of data and technology on global governance.
Read more about the Critical Digital Studies Group at UCL.
To learn more about future events or to access recordings of past talks, please visit our events page.