Digital Sovereignty and Data Colonialism: India’s Emerging Foreign Policy Challenge

Öz

Dijital çağ, kesintisiz bağlantı ve yenilik vaat ederken, paradoksal bir şekilde veri sömürgeciliği olarak adlandırılan yeni bir küresel sömürü biçiminin ortaya çıkmasına neden olmuştur. Bu süreçte, tıpkı tarihsel sömürgecilik uygulamalarında olduğu gibi, merkez ülkeler gelişmekte olan ülkelerden değerli kaynakları çekip çıkarmaktadır. 2032 yılına kadar 584 milyar doları aşması öngörülen küresel veri ekonomisi, giderek Küresel Kuzey’de bulunan birkaç baskın teknoloji şirketinin elinde yoğunlaşmaktadır. Ekonomik açıdan bu durum, yerel sanayilerin gelişimini engelleyerek Küresel Güney’den zenginlik çıkışına yol açmaktadır. Politik açıdan ise yabancı aktörlerin temel dijital sistemler ve veri akışları üzerinde kontrol kurması nedeniyle ulusal egemenlik ve politika özerkliği zayıflamaktadır. Bu nedenle, veri yerelleştirme ve dijital egemenlik politikaları ulusal otoriteyi güçlendirmeyi amaçlamakta; ancak bunlar uluslararası birlikte çalışabilirlik gereksinimleri ve insan haklarının korunmasıyla dengelenmelidir. Sonuç olarak, dijital sömürgecilikle mücadele; güçlü yönetişim çerçevelerinin oluşturulmasını, bölgesel dijital kapasitelere yatırım yapılmasını ve sınırsız veri çıkarımı ile kâr maksimizasyonu yerine insan onuru ve eşitliğinin önceliklendirilmesini gerektiren koordineli bir uluslararası çaba zorunlu kılmaktadır. Bu bağlamda yürütülen bu çalışma, nitel araştırma yöntemi temelinde ve ikincil verilere dayalı betimleyici ve analitik bir araştırma tasarımı ile gerçekleştirilmekte olup, veri sömürgeciliği ile dijital egemenlik arasındaki karmaşık bağlantıları Hindistan’ın dış politikası bağlamında incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Dijital Egemenlik
• Sömürgecilik
• Veri Sömürgeciliği
• Veri Yerelleştirme
• Dijital Otoriterlik

Destekleyen Kurum

gauhati university

Etik Beyan

Bu araştırma, akademik etik ilkelere uygun olarak yürütülmüştür. Çalışma tamamen kamuya açık ikincil verilere dayanmaktadır ve hiçbir aşamada insan katılımcı, kişisel veri veya hassas bilgi kullanılmamıştır. Bu nedenle, resmi etik kurul onayı gerektirmemektedir. Araştırmacı, kullanılan tüm kaynakların uygun şekilde belirtildiğini, çalışmanın özgün olduğunu ve başka bir dergiye gönderilmediğini veya yayımlanmadığını beyan eder. Çalışma; akademik dürüstlük, şeffaflık ve sorumlu bilimsel araştırma ilkelerine bağlı kalınarak gerçekleştirilmiştir.

Teşekkür

Bu araştırmanın geliştirilmesi sürecindeki değerli rehberliği, yapıcı katkıları ve sürekli teşvikleri için Prof. Dhruba Pratim Sharma’ya içten teşekkür ederim. Kendisinin uzmanlığı ve desteği, bu çalışmanın niteliğine ve açıklığına önemli ölçüde katkıda bulunmuştur.

Digital Sovereignty and Data Colonialism: India’s Emerging Foreign Policy Challenge

Öz

The digital age, while committing seamless connectivity and innovation, has Incongruously germinating to a new form of global exploitation, which is termed as data colonialism. Where core countries extracting valuable resources from developing nations, alike historical colonial practices. The global data economy, projected to exceed $584 billion by 2032, is Progressively Clustered in the hands of few dominant tech giants situated in Global North. Economically, it leads to outflow of wealth from Global South, hindering local industries development. Politically, dissipates national sovereignty and policy autonomy as foreign entities control key digital systems and data flows. Thus, data localization and digital sovereignty seek to strengthen national authority, but must be balanced with the demands of international interoperability and safeguarding human rights. In the end, combating digital colonialism necessitates a coordinated international effort to create strong governance frameworks, fund regional digital capabilities, and put human dignity and equity ahead of unrestrained data extraction and profit maximization. Against this backdrop, this study is being conducted through qualitative research method, and the research design are descriptive and analytical based on secondary data, this paper aims to explore the tangled linkages between data colonialism and digital sovereignty for India’s foreign policy.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Digital Sovereignty
• Colonialism
• Data Colonialism
• Data Localisation
• Digital Authoritarianism

Destekleyen Kurum

GAUHATI UNIVERSITY

Etik Beyan

This research is conducted in accordance with standard academic ethical principles. The study relies exclusively on secondary data that is publicly available, and no human participants, personal data, or sensitive information were involved at any stage. Therefore, formal ethical approval was not required. The researcher confirms that all sources have been properly acknowledged, that the work is original, and that it has not been submitted to or published in any other journal. The study adheres to principles of academic integrity, transparency, and responsible scholarship.

Teşekkür

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Prof. Dhruba Pratim Sharma for his valuable guidance, insightful feedback, and continuous encouragement throughout the development of this research. His expertise and support have significantly contributed to the quality and clarity of this work.

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