Automated Imperialism, Expansionist Dreams (Digital Extractivism)
Automated Imperialism, Expansionist Dreams is a project that seeks to identify the key methods of digital extractivism that take place in the African continent while showcasing case studies of how extraction happens, and providing existing or potential policy responses to tackle those practices. During the desk review for this paper, nine methods of digital extractivism were identified, studied, and explained in the report. These methods include; digital labour, data extraction, illicit financial flows, natural resource mining, infrastructure monopolies, digital lending, funding structures, beta testing, and platform governance. Information on all these methods was obtained from an extensive desk review of academic literature, thought pieces, blog posts, and in-depth interviews with key experts.
