What We Do
Tech Global Institute (TGI) is a policy lab with a mission to reduce equity and accountability gaps between technology platforms and the Global South. We work at the intersection of private technology companies, civil society and government to reduce equity gaps in the Global South. We provide thought leadership, advocate for inclusive policies and legislations and develop nuanced research on a range of Internet and technology topics, including artificial intelligence, content governance and mis/disinformation and privacy, and their impact on underrepresented communities, predominantly living in low- and middle-income countries.
Why It Matters
Governments worldwide, including the European Union, United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, are currently formulating new regulations for Internet intermediaries and online services, placing the technology industry at a crucial crossroads. Policymakers, academics and businesses are grappling to strike a delicate balance between competing interests. These interests include ensuring online safety while safeguarding freedom of expression and promoting platform transparency without compromising privacy. However, the focus of these discussions tends to revolve around a select few affluent nations with established markets despite the fact that majority of the world’s internet users reside in low- and middle-income regions.
Consequently, democratic governments in Asia, Africa and Latin America face a critical decision-making juncture. They must navigate the challenges of maintaining open markets conducive to innovations while creating regulations that are attuned to the economic, cultural and societal realities of their vast online populations. Internet intermediaries have not adequately invested resources in these markets to strengthen regulatory bodies and their own internal policy expertise despite rapidly scaling their products and inadvertently causing harm to vulnerable groups. As a result, a patchwork of regulatory proposals, often imitating models from established markets, emerges within antiquated legal systems, leading to ineffective implementation in these countries.
Against this backdrop, Tech Global Institute (TGI) aims to examine, develop and advocate for relevant policies implemented in low- and middle-income and underrepresented countries experiencing exponential growth in their Internet populations. We focus on identifying crucial considerations in policy design and collaborate with diverse stakeholders to propose equitable, human-centered frameworks that can safeguard freedom of expression and right to privacy in technology governance, taking into the account the distinct challenges posed by markets with diverse economic and cultural values.