Unequal Access: Internet Governance and the Exclusion of the Global South

• In Event: Treaties and Conventions

Abstract

While economic development is often the standard for determining which countries are most advanced, development is about more than just wealth. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja (1987, p. 78) insightfully explains that “Development refers to a rise in the standard of living of the population in such a way that most people can not only satisfy their economic and social needs more or less adequately but also enjoy life more fully.” In complement to this definition, Walter Rodney (2012) also describes similar sentiments in their work. That development is a complex process but should result in greater freedom, self-discipline, responsibility, and creativity (Rodney, 2012, p. 2). In this digital age, development has the potential to occur faster with the implementation of Internet access on a global scale. For development to achieve what Nzongola-Ntalaja and Rodney have outlined, this paper will analyze the Internet governance framework and how this must evolve to support the unique needs of the Global South. Postcolonial theory can help explain how the Internet governance framework disproportionately favours the Global North and perpetuates inequalities for post-colonial nations. To contextualize this paper’s exploration of Internet governance and its relation to postcolonial theory, the case study of India will exemplify these dynamics. The case of India will highlight how neocolonial policies continue to hinder the Global South’s capacity to grow within the Internet governance framework through legacies of unequal power structures and Western authority over knowledge production and access.

Author

• Brianna Danielle King, McMaster University