Unveiling digital development risks: the uncertain outcomes of promoting digital technologies in the guise of development

Van der Spuy, Anri (2023) Unveiling digital development risks: the uncertain outcomes of promoting digital technologies in the guise of development. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Abstract

Digital technologies are commonly deployed as a panacea for diverse developmental challenges, but the consequences of these development processes are largely speculative. This means neither the risks nor the benefits of digitisation in the guise of ‘development’ are defined or well managed. This is problematic not only because of the resources invested in these processes, but the implications of related risks. As such, this thesis aims to develop a better understanding of the relationship between digital development processes, risks, and developmental objectives. The conceptual framework underpinning the research connects a risk agenda with a development agenda to explore how and why risks are important in shaping digital development processes. The concept of digital development risk is defined as the risk of digital development processes contributing to, and/or exacerbating, uncertain outcome(s) with respect to responsible well-being. This concept is used to explore the central research question, namely: how and why are digital development risks important in shaping digital development processes? The cases of the use of digital IDs for developmental purposes in Africa and of contact-tracing apps in South Africa during the Covid-19 pandemic are examined based on in-depth ‘expert’ interviews and documentary sources. A thematic analysis of the cases indicates a tendency for relevant stakeholders to avoid both the definition and management of digital development risks. This enables both risk arbitrage and Ulrich Beck’s notion of organised irresponsibility; that is, the risks of digital development processes tend to be ignored, downplayed, or redesignated by powerful actors. In contexts lacking adequate regulatory safeguards or the capacity to mitigate harms, digital developmental processes are found to introduce or exacerbate socio-digital inequalities, since risk management becomes the responsibility of individuals, rather than of relevant development actors. As such, the concept of digital development risk proves to be helpful in revealing the relationships between digital development risks, organised irresponsibility, and risk arbitrage. It is argued that the failure to assume responsibility for defining and managing digital development risks can mean that development beneficiaries become responsible for managing the uncertain outcomes of digital development processes, thus becoming risk beneficiaries.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information:	© 2023 Anri van der Spuy
Library of Congress subject classification:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) T Technology > T Technology (General)
Sets:	Departments > Media and Communications
Supervisor:	Mansell, Robin and Helsper, Ellen
URI:	http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/4662

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