Postpandemic Technopolitical Democracy: Algorithmic Nations, Data Sovereignty, Digital Rights, and Data Cooperatives

Abstract

COVID-19 has hit citizens dramatically during 2020, not only creating a general risk-driven environment encompassing a wide array of economic vulnerabilities but also exposing them to pervasive digital risks, such as biosurveillance, misinformation, and e-democracy algorithmic threats. Over the course of the pandemic, a debate has emerged about the appropriate democratic and technopolitical response when governments use disease surveillance technologies to tackle the spread of COVID-19, pointing out the dichotomy between state-Leviathan cybercontrol and civil liberties. The COVID-19 pandemic has inevitably raised the need to resiliently and technopolitically respond to democratic threats that hyperconnected and highly virialised societies produce. In order to shed light on this debate, amidst this volume on "democratic deepening", this chapter introduces the new term "postpandemic technopolitical democracy" as a way to figure out emerging forms and scales for developing democracy and citizen participation in hyperconnected and highly virialised postpandemic societies. Insofar as the digital layer cannot be detached from the current democratic challenges of the twenty-first century including neoliberalism, scales, civic engagement, and action research-driven coproduction methodologies; this chapter suggests a democratic toolbox encompassing four intertwined factors including (i) the context characterised by the algorithmic nations, (ii) challenges stemming from data sovereignty, (iii) mobilisation seen from the digital rights perspective, and (iv) grassroots innovation embodied through data cooperatives. This chapter elucidates that in the absence of coordinated and interdependent strategies to claim digital rights and data sovereignty by algorithmic I. Calzada (*) Fulbright Scholar-In-Residence (SIR),

Unlocking the Power of Digital Commons: Data Cooperatives as a Pathway for Data Sovereign, Innovative and Equitable Digital Communities

“…In the context of data cooperatives, "democratic" governance emphasizes the representational power of the cooperative, empowering traditionally underrepresented or misrepresented individuals in the digital space by providing them with a self-determined voice and equitable participation in decision-making processes [22], equitable data access, and data-driven innovation by fostering an environment of trust and cooperation. By enabling the sharing and repurposing of data, data cooperatives can generate significant economic, social, and environmental benefits for their members and the wider community [3,[17][18][19][20][23][24][25][26][27][28]. A platform cooperative, or platform co-op, also referred to as a co-operative platform in some instances, is a type of digital platform that is owned and governed by its members, who are often the platform's users, workers, or other stakeholders [29].…”

“…Key aspects of digital rights include the right to protect personal information, share and access information and opinions online, seek and receive information through digital channels, protect one's creations and innovations, and use digital technology without fear of surveillance, cyberattacks, or harassment. Digital rights advocacy aims to promote and defend these rights against challenges such as government surveillance, corporate data collection, and online censorship, ensuring a more open, inclusive, and democratic digital environment for all [7,23,[46][47][48][49][50][51][52]. Barcelona, NYC, and Amsterdam established the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights advocated by the UN, and now encompasses more than 50 global cities in the protection of citizens' digital rights [47][48][49].…”

Data Monopolization by the Tech Industry

“…The discourse surrounding the potential threat that certain practices pose to democracy has also met with dissenting voices. While some argue that such practices are not necessarily detrimental to democratic ideals, (Kefford et al 2022) others remain sceptical (Kokas 2022, Calzada 2023. Recent developments, however, suggest that political leaders have recognized the political significance of human data.…”

“…Of particular concern was the use of such tactics in election campaigns in at least 18 of the surveyed countries, which severely impeded citizens' capacity to access and engage with factual discourse, essential to making informed decisions when selecting their leaders (Kelly et al 2017). Moreover, the cross-border flow of data has emerged as a crucial area of concern for both state actors and academics (Kokas 2022, Calzada 2023, Maheshwari & Holpuch 2023, Che 2023). This concern stems from the potential for data to be manipulated for political purposes, and risks associated with the sharing of sensitive data across borders.…”

Data Cooperatives as Catalysts for Collaboration, Data Sharing, and the (Trans)Formation of the Digital Commons

“…use digital technology without fear of surveillance, cyberattacks, or harassment. Digital rights advocacy aims to promote and defend these rights against challenges like government surveillance, corporate data collection, and online censorship, ensuring a more open, inclusive, and democratic digital environment for all[6,30,[53][54][55][56][57][58][59]. Barcelona, NYC, and Amsterdam established the Cities Coalition for Digital Rights advocated by UN and now encompassing more than 50 global cities in the protection of citizens' digital rights[54][55][56].…”