With the rise of digital economies and digital innovations, issues surrounding data are becoming increasingly important in public debates around the world. While new challenges have emerged regarding data misuses in the past years, the political, legal and multilateral responses have been lagging, partly due to the complexity of these new phenomena. Examples of use and misuse of power abound, ranging from new forms of digital repression, surveillance and propaganda, to small- and large-scale disinformation, not to mention foreign interference in national elections and politics at large. Against this backdrop, this year’s Megatrends lecture, jointly organized by CASSIS Bonn, EADI and IDOS/Megatrends Afrika, investigated the central links between the growing digitalisation of the economy and the rising threats to public, civil and political freedom. It started by providing a broad picture of the links between rapid digitalisation and civil liberties in India and sub-Saharan Africa, before exploring the different ways states operationalise surveillance to control information and citizens, either through blunt shutdowns of the internet, targeted digital repression or election manipulation. It then explored how those dynamics can be accentuated through the involvement of foreign actors, be they states or corporations, with a view to organise disinformation campaigns or to facilitate surveillance.

Agenda

Welcome words

• Andy Sumner (King's College, London, EADI President)
• Axel Berger (Deputy Director, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS))

Speakers

• Sangeeta Mahapatra (German Institute for Global and Area Studies, GIGA)
• Ennatu Domingo (European Centre for Development Policy Management, ECDPM)
• Iginio Gagliardone (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, WITS)

Moderation

• Basile Boulay (EADI)

The event was followed by a short drink reception from 19.30 to 20.00