Decolonisation, Global Data Law, and Indigenous Data Sovereignty

Abstract: This research examines the impact of digital neo-colonialism on the Global South and encourages the development of legal and economic incentives to protect Indigenous cultures globally. Data governance is discussed in an evolutionary context while focusing on data sharing and data mining. Case studies that exemplify the need to steer global data law towards protecting the earth, while addressing issues of data access, privacy, rights, and colonialism in the global South are explored. The case studies highlight connections to indigenous people's rights, in regard to the protection of environmental ecosystems, thus establishing how data law can serve the earth from an autochthonous lens. This framework examines histories shaped by colonialism and suggests how data governance could be used to create healthier balances of power.