Digital Fluency Today

  Internet Fragmentation in the Age of AI: The Digital Walls Are Closing In Once upon a time, the internet was supposed to be this great, borderless utopia, one seamless network where ideas, commerce, and cat videos could flow freely. A great equaliser. A force for democracy. Now? It is starting to look more like a patchwork of walled gardens, each with its own set of rules, restrictions, and, increasingly, its own AI overlords. The internet has been fragmenting for years, through data localisation laws, geopolitical tensions, and corporate silos. But artificial intelligence is supercharging the process. AI is not just shaping the internet we use, it is dictating who gets to use it, how it is used, and what information flows where. Take China’s Great Firewall. It is not just about blocking certain websites anymore; it is about training AI models on government-approved data and censoring speech in real time. Europe, on the other hand, is leaning into regulation, forcing AI compan...

  What Kirsty Coventry’s Election Means for Young Women in Zimbabwe Kirsty Coventry’s election to Zimbabwe’s political arena is more than just a personal achievement for the Olympic champion. It represents a significant shift in a nation historically grappling with systemic inequality, particularly for women. And for young women across Zimbabwe, it could mark the beginning of an era where the barriers that have long restricted their dreams and potential might finally start to crumble. In a country where women have fought tirelessly for representation and equal opportunities, Coventry’s rise is a symbol of possibility. But it is not just about breaking the glass ceiling; it is about shattering long-held assumptions about what leadership looks like and who gets to hold the power. Why This Matters Zimbabwe, like many African nations, has witnessed progress in the last few decades, but entrenched patriarchal structures still dominate political, social, and economic landscapes. With you...

  Unfragment the Internet: Why We Must Act Now The internet was once envisioned as a borderless space, a global network that connects people, ideas, and opportunities across geographies and cultures. This vision was built on principles of openness, accessibility, and interoperability. Yet, over time, this ideal has been challenged by a phenomenon known as internet fragmentation. The dream of a unified internet is now under threat, and the consequences are dire for societies, economies, and human rights. This blog is inspired by my recently completed Master’s dissertation, which explored The Role of the Internet Society in Combating Internet Fragmentation as a Framework of Global Internet Governance. Through that work, I was exposed to the complex layers of this issue and the urgent need for collective action. Today, I want to share why we must unfragment the internet and what it means for all of us. What is Internet Fragmentation? In simple terms, internet fragmentation refers to t...