Perspectives on Digital Humanism


Book Description

This open access book aims to set an agenda for research and action in the field of Digital Humanism through short essays written by selected thinkers from a variety of disciplines, including computer science, philosophy, education, law, economics, history, anthropology, political science, and sociology. This initiative emerged from the Vienna Manifesto on Digital Humanism and the associated lecture series. Digital Humanism deals with the complex relationships between people and machines in digital times. It acknowledges the potential of information technology. At the same time, it points to societal threats such as privacy violations and ethical concerns around artificial intelligence, automation and loss of jobs, ongoing monopolization on the Web, and sovereignty. Digital Humanism aims to address these topics with a sense of urgency but with a constructive mindset. The book argues for a Digital Humanism that analyses and, most importantly, influences the complex interplay of technology and humankind toward a better society and life while fully respecting universal human rights. It is a call to shaping technologies in accordance with human values and needs.




Development Co-operation Report 2021 Shaping a Just Digital Transformation


Book Description

Digital transformation is revolutionising economies and societies with rapid technological advances in AI, robotics and the Internet of Things. Low and middle-income countries are struggling to gain a foothold in the global digital economy in the face of limited digital capacity, skills, and fragmented global and regional rules.




Network Sovereignty


Book Description

In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly determined that affordable Internet access is a human right, critical to citizen participation in democratic governments. Given the significance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to social and political life, many U.S. tribes and Native organizations have created their own projects, from streaming radio to building networks to telecommunications advocacy. In Network Sovereignty, Marisa Duarte examines these ICT projects to explore the significance of information flows and information systems to Native sovereignty, and toward self-governance, self-determination, and decolonization. By reframing how tribes and Native organizations harness these technologies as a means to overcome colonial disconnections, Network Sovereignty shifts the discussion of information and communication technologies in Native communities from one of exploitation to one of Indigenous possibility.




Self-Sovereign Identity


Book Description

In Self-Sovereign Identity: Decentralized digital identity and verifiable credentials, you’ll learn how SSI empowers us to receive digitally-signed credentials, store them in private wallets, and securely prove our online identities. Summary In a world of changing privacy regulations, identity theft, and online anonymity, identity is a precious and complex concept. Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is a set of technologies that move control of digital identity from third party “identity providers” directly to individuals, and it promises to be one of the most important trends for the coming decades. Personal data experts Drummond Reed and Alex Preukschat lay out a roadmap for a future of personal sovereignty powered by the Blockchain and cryptography. Cutting through technical jargon with dozens of practical cases, it presents a clear and compelling argument for why SSI is a paradigm shift, and how you can be ready to be prepared for it. About the technology Trust on the internet is at an all-time low. Large corporations and institutions control our personal data because we’ve never had a simple, safe, strong way to prove who we are online. Self-sovereign identity (SSI) changes all that. About the book In Self-Sovereign Identity: Decentralized digital identity and verifiable credentials, you’ll learn how SSI empowers us to receive digitally-signed credentials, store them in private wallets, and securely prove our online identities. It combines a clear, jargon-free introduction to this blockchain-inspired paradigm shift with interesting essays written by its leading practitioners. Whether for property transfer, ebanking, frictionless travel, or personalized services, the SSI model for digital trust will reshape our collective future. What's inside The architecture of SSI software and services The technical, legal, and governance concepts behind SSI How SSI affects global business industry-by-industry Emerging standards for SSI About the reader For technology and business readers. No prior SSI, cryptography, or blockchain experience required. About the authors Drummond Reed is the Chief Trust Officer at Evernym, a technology leader in SSI. Alex Preukschat is the co-founder of SSIMeetup.org and AlianzaBlockchain.org. Table of Contents PART 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO SSI 1 Why the internet is missing an identity layer—and why SSI can finally provide one 2 The basic building blocks of SSI 3 Example scenarios showing how SSI works 4 SSI Scorecard: Major features and benefits of SSI PART 2: SSI TECHNOLOGY 5 SSI architecture: The big picture 6 Basic cryptography techniques for SSI 7 Verifiable credentials 8 Decentralized identifiers 9 Digital wallets and digital agents 10 Decentralized key management 11 SSI governance frameworks PART 3: DECENTRALIZATION AS A MODEL FOR LIFE 12 How open source software helps you control your self-sovereign identity 13 Cypherpunks: The origin of decentralization 14 Decentralized identity for a peaceful society 15 Belief systems as drivers for technology choices in decentralization 16 The origins of the SSI community 17 Identity is money PART 4: HOW SSI WILL CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS 18 Explaining the value of SSI to business 19 The Internet of Things opportunity 20 Animal care and guardianship just became crystal clear 21 Open democracy, voting, and SSI 22 Healthcare supply chain powered by SSI 23 Canada: Enabling self-sovereign identity 24 From eIDAS to SSI in the European Union




Indigenous Data Sovereignty


Book Description

As the global ‘data revolution’ accelerates, how can the data rights and interests of indigenous peoples be secured? Premised on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, this book argues that indigenous peoples have inherent and inalienable rights relating to the collection, ownership and application of data about them, and about their lifeways and territories. As the first book to focus on indigenous data sovereignty, it asks: what does data sovereignty mean for indigenous peoples, and how is it being used in their pursuit of self-determination? The varied group of mostly indigenous contributors theorise and conceptualise this fast-emerging field and present case studies that illustrate the challenges and opportunities involved. These range from indigenous communities grappling with issues of identity, governance and development, to national governments and NGOs seeking to formulate a response to indigenous demands for data ownership. While the book is focused on the CANZUS states of Canada, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand and the United States, much of the content and discussion will be of interest and practical value to a broader global audience. ‘A debate-shaping book … it speaks to a fast-emerging field; it has a lot of important things to say; and the timing is right.’ — Stephen Cornell, Professor of Sociology and Faculty Chair of the Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona ‘The effort … in this book to theorise and conceptualise data sovereignty and its links to the realisation of the rights of indigenous peoples is pioneering and laudable.’ — Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Baguio City, Philippines




Tax Sovereignty and the Law in the Digital and Global Economy


Book Description

This book discusses which is the most appropriate tax dimension to best manage the new horizons of the global and digital economy. In this perspective, the efficiency of the main models is examined and two fundamental proposals are put forth: the first one aims at a coordination of the Destination-Based approach with the role of some specific digital assets, such as user data; the second one is a framework for a possible futuristic tax phenomenon all internal to the world of the internet and not linked to traditional territorial States. The compliance of these models with the constitutional principles that western democratic systems have affirmed over time in matters of taxation is then analyzed with particular regard to legal certainty, consent to taxation and to the re-distributive function of taxes. A specific evaluation of the role of the European Union is carried out and the jurisprudence on financial interests of the Union and on State aids is analyzed and tackled in light of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and of the tax sovereignty of member States. The conclusion is that the model of the organization with a general political purpose, from which modern States take their inspiration, appears unfailing for a tax project that would focus on the good and the growth of the person and of the social aggregations in which everyone lives. A model that therefore deserves to be safeguarded, although with new methods and instruments, starting from a Destination-Based Asset-Coordinated approach, in the Third Millennium. The book will be of interest to researchers and academics in international tax law, constitutional law and in political science.




Data Protection Beyond Borders


Book Description

This timely book examines crucial developments in the field of privacy law, efforts by legal systems to impose their data protection standards beyond their borders and claims by states to assert sovereignty over data. By bringing together renowned international privacy experts from the EU and the US, the book provides an accurate analysis of key trends and prospects in the transatlantic context, including spaces of tensions and cooperation between the EU and the US in the field of data protection law. The chapters explore recent legal and policy developments both in the private and law enforcement sectors, including recent rulings by the Court of Justice of the EU dealing with Google and Facebook, recent legislative initiatives in the EU and the US such as the CLOUD Act and the e-evidence proposal, as well as ongoing efforts to strike a transatlantic deal in the field of data sharing. All of the topics are thoroughly examined and presented in an accessible way that will appeal to scholars in the fields of law, political science and international relations, as well as to a wider and non-specialist audience. The book is an essential guide to understanding contemporary challenges to data protection across the Atlantic.




Practicing Sovereignty


Book Description

Digital sovereignty has become a hotly debated concept. The current convergence of multiple crises adds fuel to this debate, as it contextualizes the concept in a foundational discussion of democratic principles, civil rights, and national identities: is (technological) self-determination an option for every individual to cope with the digital sphere effectively? Can disruptive events provide chances to rethink our ideas of society - including the design of the objects and processes which constitute our techno-social realities? The positions assembled in this volume analyze opportunities for participation and policy-making, and describe alternative technological practices before and after the pandemic.




Will the Internet Fragment?


Book Description

The Internet has united the world as never before. But is it in danger of breaking apart? Cybersecurity, geopolitical tensions, and calls for data sovereignty have made many believe that the Internet is fragmenting. In this incisive new book, Milton Mueller argues that the “fragmentation” diagnosis misses the mark. The rhetoric of “fragmentation” camouflages the real issue: the attempt by governments to align information flows with their jurisdictional boundaries. The fragmentation debate is really a power struggle over the future of national sovereignty. It pits global governance and open access against the traditional territorial institutions of government. This conflict, the book argues, can only be resolved through radical institutional innovations. Will the Internet Fragment? is essential reading for students and scholars of media and communications, international relations, political science and STS, as well as anyone concerned about the quality of Internet governance.




Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Policy


Book Description

This book examines how Indigenous Peoples around the world are demanding greater data sovereignty, and challenging the ways in which governments have historically used Indigenous data to develop policies and programs. In the digital age, governments are increasingly dependent on data and data analytics to inform their policies and decision-making. However, Indigenous Peoples have often been the unwilling targets of policy interventions and have had little say over the collection, use and application of data about them, their lands and cultures. At the heart of Indigenous Peoples’ demands for change are the enduring aspirations of self-determination over their institutions, resources, knowledge and information systems. With contributors from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, North and South America and Europe, this book offers a rich account of the potential for Indigenous data sovereignty to support human flourishing and to protect against the ever-growing threats of data-related risks and harms. The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780429273957, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license