Towards Developing a Global Policy Framework to Regulate Big Tech’s Impact on Democracy: A Global South Perspective

Abstract

Technology and innovations have been rapidly evolving and infiltrating almost every aspect of human lives. These innovations have allowed humanity to excel in unprecedented manners. State, market, and culture form the basis of a society, and Big Tech companies have now captured all. Through online surveillance, political advertising online, and algorithmic targeting, there have been serious implications on the fabric of democratic institutions around the world. This research project aims to create indications that would be kept in mind to appropriately design an inclusive international policy framework for regulating Big Tech’s impact on democracy in a world that is now digital. This is done by first conducting an analysis of selected events as case studies where democracy was impacted, reviewing existing policies, and analyzing expert opinion. The methodologies utilized to conduct this study are content analysis and critical discourse analysis. This research takes a human rights-based approach accompanied by theoretical concepts such as surveillance capitalism, digital colonialism, and intersectionality, to study scholarly critique on the existing framework and the best way forward. Key takeaways from this study are that future policies must be embedded in international human rights law, international cooperation of States, have multi-stakeholder participation, and include voices from Global South.