Global Tech: The New Colonialism

Traditional colonialism, characterised by territorial expansion and economic exploitation, has fundamentally shaped the modern world. Although formal colonial empires largely dissolved in the 20th century, their legacies persist in the economic, cultural, and political structures of postcolonial nations. In the 21st century, a new form of colonialism has emerged. Digital colonialism mirrors traditional colonial practices, exerting power over data, digital infrastructure, and cultural spaces through technology controlled primarily by corporations based in wealthy nations.

Walk with me.

Four primary characteristics define traditional colonialism

• Territorial expansion
• economic exploitation
• cultural imposition and
• political domination.

European colonial powers justified these practices with a belief in their civilisational superiority, often depicted in primary sources like British parliamentary debates and missionary accounts, where colonial administrators claimed their rule brought “order” and “progress” to the colonies. The British Empire, for example, reshaped economies, infrastructures, and social structures in colonised territories such as India and Kenya. In India, the British implemented policies to benefit British industries by extracting raw materials like cotton and tea, while exporting manufactured goods back to the colonies. Parliamentary records reveal how British administrators perceived India’s resources as critical to Britain’s economic growth.

The 20th century saw the height and subsequent decline of formal colonial empires, culminating in the decolonisation movements following the Second World War. European powers, such as Britain and France, controlled vast territories across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, applying policies that maintained extractive economies and imposed Western governance systems on indigenous populations. For instance, in the Belgian Congo, King Leopold II implemented a brutal labour regime that devastated local communities and resulted in millions of deaths. Historical records, including the Casement Report of 1904, documented the atrocities, revealing a system designed solely for resource extraction, with no regard for indigenous lives.

Decolonisation efforts were catalysed by independence leaders like Mahatma Gandhi in India and Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana, who advocated for self-determination and economic independence. Gandhi’s concept of “Swaraj” (self-rule), found in his work Hind Swaraj, criticised colonial dependency and emphasised economic autonomy. Despite independence, many postcolonial states continued to grapple with weak economic structures and sociopolitical issues rooted in colonial rule.

The Legacy of Postcolonialism

The colonial legacy is evident in former colonies' economies and social structures. Many of whom, upon gaining independence, found themselves economically dependent on single-crop or resource exports to global markets dominated by their former colonisers. Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in the 1980s further entrenched this dependency. SAPs, aimed at liberalising economies, often resulted in austerity measures, privatisation of public services, and reduced government spending in developing nations. Documents from the World Bank archives reveal how SAPs were widely resisted as “neocolonial” tactics that prioritised the economic interests of developed nations over the welfare of the developing world.

Culturally, postcolonial societies have wrestled with the imposition of Western languages, customs, and institutions. Writers like Ng?g? wa Thiong'o have described colonial education systems as tools for cultural erasure, prioritising colonial languages over indigenous ones. In Decolonising the Mind, Ng?g? writes that “if the bullet was the means of physical subjugation, language was the means of spiritual subjugation.”

From Economic Neocolonialism to Digital Colonialism

While classical colonialism has receded, neocolonial structures persist, especially economically. Multinational corporations often extract resources and value from former colonies under exploitative conditions that echo colonial models. For example, the extraction of rare minerals, critical for modern technology, largely takes place in African countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa and Namibia to name a few, where international corporations control mining operations. Reports from the United Nations (UN) and Amnesty International document exploitative labour practices in the DRC’s cobalt mines, revealing a modern-day dependence on resource extraction that echoes colonial models.

This neocolonialism is not limited to Western powers only. Many observe that China has remodelled colonialism through The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), part of its flagship global development strategy. Infrastructure projects like ports, roads, railways, and energy facilities in countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, have been implemented often through high-interest loans that are structured in ways that generate dependency. Sri Lanka for example was forced to lease its Hambantota Port to China for 99 years in 2017 after it couldn’t meet its debt obligations, a situation that some critics refer to as “debt-trap diplomacy.”

China’s investments often come with stipulations that favour Chinese companies and workers. In many BRI projects, Chinese companies are responsible for construction, maintenance, and often the future management of the infrastructure, limiting local employment opportunities and technology transfer. Take the North-South highway has left Jamaica with a $730-million debt to China and the $32 toll for a 66-kilometre, one-way trip —collected by the Chinese developer — means driving the highway isn't affordable for most Jamaicans. This resembles colonial-era economic practices, where colonisers extracted wealth and resources while keeping local populations in low-wage labour roles with little control over the infrastructure in their own countries.

An even newer, more pervasive form of colonialism has emerged.

Digital colonialism is the exertion of control over data, digital infrastructure, and technological ecosystems by powerful global tech companies, typically based in developed countries. As described by researchers in the field, digital colonialism is characterised by three main features: control of infrastructure, data extraction, and cultural influence.

Tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon own and control much of the digital infrastructure in developing countries. This includes undersea cables, cloud servers, and digital payment systems. For instance, Google and Facebook have financed and laid undersea cables that connect African nations to the Internet, creating a dependency on foreign-owned infrastructure. Research from Access Now and academic journals like Surveillance & Society highlight that this control over digital infrastructure leaves developing nations vulnerable to the economic and political interests of foreign corporations.

Much like traditional colonialism’s extractive economies, digital colonialism involves the extraction of data often described as the “new oil.” In countries with weak data protection regulations, tech companies gather and monetise vast amounts of user data with minimal regulation or local benefit. Reports by organisations like Privacy International and the Internet Governance Forum show that developing nations often see little economic return from data collected within their borders, further widening the digital economic divide.

Just as colonial powers imposed their languages and cultural practices, tech companies dominate online spaces with platforms that prioritise Western languages, narratives, and content. Social media algorithms favour content that aligns with Western norms and consumerist values, which influences social and political discourse globally. UNESCO has documented how local languages and cultural expressions are marginalised in the digital space, which risks eroding linguistic diversity and cultural heritage.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Colonialism

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool within digital colonialism, amplifying asymmetries of knowledge and control. AI systems are primarily developed by tech giants in wealthier nations, with algorithms trained on data that often reflects Western cultural biases. AI’s role in digital colonialism can be analysed through three primary areas: surveillance, algorithmic bias, and economic automation.

In developing countries, AI-based surveillance tools, often provided by foreign companies, are used by governments to monitor populations, raising serious privacy issues. For instance, China’s Belt and Road Initiative has exported AI-powered surveillance systems to African nations like Zimbabwe and Kenya, where they are used for monitoring and, at times, social control. Reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have highlighted the use of such technologies for political surveillance, with limited accountability.

Many AI algorithms are trained on Western-centric data, leading to biases that can marginalise non-Western perspectives. For instance, facial recognition technologies have been shown to have higher error rates for individuals with darker skin tones. Scholars in the AI Now Institute have documented how these biases perpetuate discrimination and racial profiling, echoing colonial assumptions of superiority over “others” through technological means.

As AI systems automate tasks, developing nations reliant on low-cost labour face economic disruption. Studies by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) show that automation driven by AI is expected to displace jobs in sectors like manufacturing, where developing nations have traditionally had a competitive advantage. This economic displacement can leave developing nations increasingly dependent on foreign technological expertise and investment, perpetuating economic dependency reminiscent of colonial resource extraction.

The Impact of Digital Colonialism on Nations, Economies, and Cultures

Digital colonialism has profound implications for national sovereignty, economic development, and cultural identity in the 21st century.

As developing nations become dependent on foreign-controlled digital infrastructure, their capacity to safeguard data and national security is compromised. Governments in the Global South often lack the regulatory power to restrict or monitor data flows managed by foreign companies. This lack of digital sovereignty allows tech companies to influence domestic policies and access sensitive data. Reports from Privacy International suggest that data dependency can even affect electoral integrity, as foreign-controlled platforms influence political narratives and are sometimes used to manipulate election outcomes.

The control of digital infrastructure and data by foreign entities creates economic imbalances, as profits generated from user data largely benefit corporations based in wealthy nations. This situation reduces opportunities for local technological innovation and digital entrepreneurship. The Internet Governance Forum has raised concerns that developing countries are at risk of being locked into a digital dependency cycle, where they rely on foreign-owned platforms without opportunities to develop indigenous tech ecosystems.

Western tech platforms frequently promote content that aligns with consumerist and Western-centric values, marginalising indigenous cultures and perspectives. Studies by UNESCO reveal that algorithm-driven content on platforms like YouTube and TikTok often promotes dominant cultural narratives while eroding traditional values and languages. This digital influence echoes the cultural dominance exerted by colonial powers, as local cultural expressions are gradually replaced by foreign-dominated narratives.

Digital colonialism has emerged as a formidable force in the 21st century.

With control over digital infrastructure, data, and AI, global tech corporations wield unprecedented influence over the economic, political, and cultural landscape of developing nations. On the one hand, it has played a significant role in how advances in healthcare, agriculture and education. On the other hand, we have seen how it affects job security, election campaigns, addiction and the environment. Addressing digital colonialism requires coordinated global efforts to promote data sovereignty, regulatory reform, and equitable access to technology. As nations advocate for digital autonomy, the struggle for a truly decolonised digital world underscores an ongoing quest for equity, sovereignty, and cultural preservation in the face of technological dominance.

In reimagining a fair digital future, global institutions and nations must work together to establish frameworks that empower all countries to participate fully and fairly in the digital world, preventing history’s colonial imbalances from echoing in the digital age. One doesn't have to look to far back to see what a failure to do so will result in.

Further Reading:

• Gandhi, M. K., Hind Swaraj.
• Casement, R., The Casement Report .
• Ng?g? wa Thiong'o, Decolonising the Mind .
• Chinese Investment in Jamaica infrastructure
• UNESCO, reports on digital cultural influence.
• Data sovereignty .
• Internet Governance Forum, studies on data and tech inequalities.

Recommended Listening

Data Vampires. Tech Won't Save Us