| Abstrakt: |
There is an inevitable tension between industrialised nations and developing nations over ownership of information flow. For African countries, the inability to build the additional infrastructure needed to bridge the digital divide without the help of the private sector, as well as more developed countries, serves as a structural barrier to meaningful engagement in the information society. This article revisits Peter Drahos's concept of information feudalism and argues that as information-rich states and non-state actors become politically powerful, African states are relegated to serfdom. Moreover, the various forces wrestling for primacy over information and data governance constrain African agency in the international system. The article answers two key questions: is Africa an active participant of the information society, and what does information politics underscore about the continued imbalance in the international system? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
