Flows of information and data

How many users did Facebook have in 2018?

2B

The Egyptian uprising (2013)

Uprising against Mubarak’s regime

Organised via facebook

What are the benefits of flows of information?

Connects us to global news

Incites charity and activism, e.g tsunami in Asia- $7B raised, Purple for femicide- South Africa

Raises awareness of campaigns

AI development

Education (which stimulates change)

Developments in e-commerce

Better online connections

Developments in healthcare and infrastructure

What are the drawbacks of flows of information?

AI- job displacement and plagiarism

False information- can lead to inappropriate action

Data stealing

The dark web + criminal interaction

Propaganda

Opens up security breaches

What is the concept of the digital divide?

The idea that people in different areas and industries have different ‘relationships’ with the internet.

In 2018, how many people were living in parts of Africa with 0 mobile phone reception?

100 million

What percentage of the population of Africa lacked internet access in 2018?

60%

What are causes of digital exclusion?

Lack of infrastructure

Blocked access by the government or state

Poverty

Companies won’t sell where they know customers won’t buy- the culture isn’t built

Why did the internet originally start?

As part of a scheme funded by the USA defence department during the cold war.

The history of the internet’s development (1860s-1970s):

1860s- first telegraph cable across the Atlantic

1970s- First GPS satellite (24 situated 10000km above Earth)

1971- invention of microprocessor

1980s + 1990s- broadband development, fibre-optic cables owned by governments and TNCs

What are 5 areas of opportunity for mobile technology development?

Business

Financial

Communication

News

Commerce

What are the kiva robots?

They work for amazon

They move and package goods

There are 15 000 overall in amazon warehouses

What is a key flaw of modern data flow policies?

Rapid rates of technical innovation outstrip the speed by which lawmakers can develop adequate regulatory framework.

What is ‘splinternet’?

A characterisation of the internet as something which divides and separates people.

How is China disconnected from the rest of the world in terms of the internet?

Facebook, X, Youtube unavailable to Chinese users → ‘Great firewall of China’

Only 34 foreign films per year in Chinese cinemas

Google withdrew from China in 2010 due to censorship

800M Chinese citizens use ‘walled garden’ social media- Youku

Iran and Pakistan both have similar systems

How do flows of information cause growth through migration and remittances?

US $500B remittances are sent home annually, via the internet

This enables internal rural-urban movements

China- 20% urban in 1978, 55% urban in 2022

How do flows of information cause growth through communications technology?

Access to information flows= access to communications technology

2017- 440M in Africa had mobile phone subscriptions (44%)

- The global average was 66%

How do flows of information cause growth through data flows?

• Creation of tech hubs such as Bengaluru

• GPNs

• Crowdfunding

• Information transfer, e.g in agriculture

• Disaster appeals (Haiti 2010- $29M in 15 days)

• Remote healthcare- drone delivery of medication e.g Rwanda

• Distance learning