Digital colonialism in the Global South: a critical analysis of the instrumental view of technology

This dissertation examines the relationship between the Kantian Enlightenment concept of autonomy, its ideals, and how it has been eroded by traditional and new forms of media. It also explores how these practices have led to the emergence of new forms of capitalism, specifically surveillance capitalism, which has underpinned new forms of colonialism, notably digital colonialism. Some of the themes addressed in this dissertation are the Culture Industry, technological rationality, techno-capitalism, information surveillance capitalism, digital colonialism, and the Global South as subjugated in the digital age. The study aims to show how in the digital age, digital colonialism poses a significant threat to autonomy and global fairness.Importantly, digital colonialism refers to the exploitative relationship between the Global North and Global South, where valuable data is extracted and controlled by powerful companies mostly from the Global North. The dissertation will show how Big Tech companies (such as Meta, Google, Microsoft, Apple and Amazon) have resulted in poor countries, especially from the Global South, relying on external platforms for digital services, which are then economically and culturally exploited. Thus, this dissertation contends that the Enlightenment ideal of autonomy has been undermined in the digital age, with the focus being on individuals from the Global South. Methodologically, the dissertation employs a conceptual and criticalphilosophical analysis, drawing on Kantian ethics, critical theory, and contemporary political philosophy to examine how autonomy is reshaped within digital infrastructures.