Structural asymmetries in data ownership, access to information, and human rights enforcement across global digital governance regimes.
Associate, Solomon Okedara and Co., Lagos, Nigeria.
Review Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2019, 04(02), 238-255
Publication history:
Received on 02 December 2019; revised on 25 December 2019; accepted on 30 December 2019
Abstract:
The accelerating digital transformation of economies and societies has exposed deep structural asymmetries in data ownership, access to information, and human rights protection across global governance regimes. These asymmetries reflect unequal capacities between states, corporations, and individuals to control, interpret, and benefit from data the most valuable resource of the 21st century. From a broad perspective, disparities in digital infrastructure, legal maturity, and technological sovereignty have produced fragmented regimes where data-rich entities dominate decision-making and innovation, while data-poor nations and communities face exclusion and dependency. The concentration of control among major technology corporations further amplifies information inequalities, enabling opaque data extraction and algorithmic profiling practices that often escape meaningful accountability. At the governance level, divergent regulatory models exemplified by the European Union’s rights-based General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the United States’ market-driven framework, and China’s state-centric data sovereignty approach reveal competing philosophies on digital autonomy and human rights enforcement. These differences hinder global policy coherence, complicating efforts to establish equitable standards for cross-border data flows, privacy protection, and algorithmic transparency. Narrowing the focus, this paper critically examines how this governance asymmetries influence fundamental human rights, including the right to privacy, freedom of expression, and access to knowledge. It argues that bridging these divides requires developing a globally coordinated digital rights architecture grounded in fairness, inclusivity, and accountability. Such a framework would ensure that digital governance evolves not as a vehicle of domination or exclusion but as a platform for empowering all stakeholders within the interconnected global information ecosystem.
Keywords:
Data Ownership; Digital Governance; Information Asymmetry; Human Rights; Global Regulatory Regimes; Data Justice.
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Copyright © 2019 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0