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- Title
Left to Other Peoples’ Devices? A Political Economy Perspective on the Big Data Revolution in Development.
- Authors
Mann, Laura
- Abstract
ABSTRACT: This article brings a political economy perspective to the field of Data for Development (D4D). It highlights the fact that many projects involve extracting data from African‐based organizations for expert analysis in advanced economies. This extraction is justified on the basis that it is being used for humanitarian purposes. Key actors including the UN Global Pulse and World Economic Forum have lobbied for a governance framework emphasizing greater emission, personalization and centralization of data. The article shows how this approach enables the strategies of multinational corporations which are aiming to become data custodians of Africa's emerging economies. Little attention has been paid to the geographical distribution of capacity building nor to the ways in which data‐driven restructuring may alter existing livelihoods. As African economies become increasingly ‘digital’, data will become a source of power in economic governance. Current frameworks amount to a kind of industrial policy that supports the learning and innovation of foreign firms. The article aims to move D4D away from the focus on humanitarianism towards economic development, considering the opportunities for African citizens to benefit from their data as a source of revenue, knowledge and power. The conclusion suggests lines of inquiry for taking research further.
- Subjects
ECONOMICS; BIG data; ECONOMIC development; WORLD Economic Forum; CAPACITY building
- Publication
Development & Change, 2018, Vol 49, Issue 1, p3
- ISSN
0012-155X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/dech.12347