IT for Change is launching DataSyn, a free monthly newsletter providing concise and relevant analysis on all matters concerning Big Tech.
In an era where Big Tech has become the epochal problem statement of our times, the spirit behind DataSyn is one of cautious aspiration, critical nuance, and despite everything...a relentless optimism about the digital being a means of equitable development.
Our (only somewhat) namesake, Project Cybersyn, was a 70s public technology initiative in Chile under Salvador Allende. Cybersyn was ahead of its time in encapsulating a powerful idea – that digital innovation could synergize the efficiencies of computing for an equitable and free society. In times when we are deeply aware of how state controlled data can become a site of authoritarianism, we ironically think back to this short lived, imperfect experiment to remind ourselves of how, even as we rightly fear the concentration of digital power in the hands of market or state, there remains the imperative to preserving a public, development oriented role for technology.
Exploring an often slippery line between the opportunities and dangers of digital developments for a democratic and equitable society has been central to our work at IT for Change, and it is this ethos that we capture through our latest offering.
Yes, we know what you’re thinking. Another newsletter on tech. :)
But we promise, this one is different.
We go beyond Silicon Valley and we promise to talk about more than Facebook. Also – and more importantly– we see Big Tech issues as vital to equity, justice, and development, and strive to bring this perspective into all analysis.
At IT for Change, we have spent years trying to decode the digital economy and its frightening discontents with deep research and engagement, peering into the corners of the globe to understand specifically, what all of this means for the Global South. With DataSyn, we now aim to bring the same level of quality analysis in bite sized content, delivered to your inbox on a monthly basis.
So, if you’re interested in making the unseen connections between Big Tech regulation and workers’ rights in your country or want to stay abreast of critical policy developments in competition and taxation measures, we have you covered.
P.S. We may also talk about Facebook.
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