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| Research Articles |
| Legalizing Control: Restrictive Internet Regulation in Sub-Saharan Africa Maurice P. Schumann examines how governments in sub-Saharan Africa enact laws that restrict digital rights under the guise of cybersecurity and privacy protection. Using original data on internet legislation across sub-Saharan African countries, the paper tests whether governments’ reactive or pre-emptive decision-making, influenced by domestic and regional factors, drives restrictive internet regulation. The paper highlights the trend of institutionalizing digital repression through national legislation. Read here Comparing Apples to Oranges: A Taxonomy for Navigating the Global Landscape of AI Regulation This study presents a taxonomy to map and compare AI regulations globally, addressing the complexity and fragmentation of legislative approaches. By analysing frameworks from the EU, USA, Canada, China, and Brazil, the authors identify key metrics such as regulatory scope, enforcement mechanisms, and stakeholder participation. The taxonomy aims to clarify AI governance structures and support evidence-based policymaking. Read here Pro-Democracy Platform Advocacy in Southeast Asia The paper analyses how human rights defenders in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia engage in platform advocacy to counter Big Tech-mediated authoritarianism. Using interviews, social media analysis, and platform transparency reports, the study finds that advocacy efforts are more impactful when they resonate with Western democratic values, involve international allies, and engage marginalized dissidents. The research underscores the dynamics of platform governance and transnational advocacy in the Global South. Read here Indigenous knowledge and information technology for sustainable development The special section in Information Technology for Development Journal section explores tensions and opportunities at the intersection of Indigenous knowledge and digital technologies, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive, inclusive, and ethical approaches to technological innovation. Read here Antropofagia and AI: Indigenous Perspectives on Creativity The paper presents a study based on fieldwork with Ecuadorian artists, exploring Indigenous and Latin American perspectives on AI in creative work through the “Antropofagia” framework. This approach symbolically ‘cannibalizes’ colonial influences, transforming them into expressions reflective of local identity and heritage. The paper identifies tensions in AI-generated art concerning collectivity versus individuality, process versus product, and meaning versus novelty. Read the article |
| Books |
| Technocreep and the Politics of Things Not Seen Edited by Neda Atanasoski and Nassim Parvin, this volume presents a feminist “technocreep” framework for analyzing intimate and often unseen technological intrusions, from smart homes and smart dust to surveillance systems and pregnancy apps. Featuring interdisciplinary essays and creative works that challenge binary views of privacy and surveillance, the book calls for new ethical approaches to understand technology’s complex entanglements with bodies, environments, and power. Link to publisher’s page |
| Call for papers |
| Public Debates, Everyday Injustice, and AI in the Majority World A forthcoming workshop funded by the University of Amsterdam seeks contributions examining how notions of the public, rights, justice, and solidarity are constituted as people navigate AI-enabled algorithmic governance in postcolonial contexts. The focus is on interdisciplinary approaches to data justice, surveillance, citizenship collectives, and data activism in the Global South. Interested scholars and practitioners should submit a 300-word abstract and a 100-word bio by 30 June 2025. Travel support is available for selected participants. See full details The Politics of AI: Governance, Resistance, Alternatives The BRAID project invites submissions for its symposium on “The Politics of AI: Governance, Resistance, Alternatives,” scheduled for 18 September 2025 at Goldsmiths, University of London. The symposium seeks interdisciplinary papers offering critical perspectives on AI’s intersection with the environment, society, and political economy. Researchers from all disciplines are encouraged to submit 300-word abstracts by 11 July 2025. Find the call here |
| News/Commentaries |
| Rwanda to Launch AI-Powered Legal App for Justice Access Rwanda is preparing to introduce an AI-powered mobile application designed to provide access to legal texts and case law. Led by the Ministry of Justice, the initiative aims to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of the justice system, particularly for marginalized communities. The app will offer users streamlined access to legal information, supporting Rwanda’s broader efforts to digitize its judiciary and promote equitable justice delivery. Read more Identity Versus Identification: Surveillance through Family ID in India Akshra Mehla and Lakshay Mehla critically examine India’s Family ID systems, highlighting how they function as tools of surveillance that blur the lines between identity and identification. The authors argue that such systems, while ostensibly designed for welfare delivery, can infringe on individual privacy and autonomy, leading to broader societal implications concerning data governance and civil liberties. Read the commentary |
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