What are 'alternative' tech tools?
Alternative tools can help circumvent internet shutdowns, bridge digital divides, and contribute to a lower environmental impact.
We tend to default to certain tools and platforms, which are often resource hungry, prioritise existing strong internet networks, are profit driven, and benefit those in economic hubs.
The alternative tools we spotlight here include projects and tools that:
are more accessible in terms of income and available resources, or help to bridge other aspects of the digital divide
are open source
are community designed or designed with significant community input
promote gender and racial inclusivity
preserve and share in indigenous knowledge and traditions, and
cause less harm to the environment and natural resources.
Alternative tech tools can be a necessary intervention
As we've explored alternative tech tools to increase our own organisational digital resilience (we have tried, for example, to strengthen our video conferencing infrastructure by adopting open-source platforms Big Blue Button and Jitsi Meet), we've seen how alternative tech tools can sometimes struggle to work effectively in low-bandwidth environments.
In our work with partners, one of the greatest challenges to selecting appropriate tools is finding software and hardware (including open source, privacy respecting tools) that work well in resource constrained environments, such as areas with lack of infrastructure, low bandwidth, and poor internet connectivity.
With this in mind, we've been especially interested in exploring alternative tech tools that work in low-connectivity environments. We started off looking at tools for knowledge sharing and found found a number of really interesting projects.
The challenges outlined below are trends we have seen as an organisation through our research and support work.
Circumventing internet shutdowns
Alternative tools like mesh networks, community radio and devices for offline knowledge sharing are useful for circumventing internet shutdowns to access information and resources.
Internet shutdowns are an increasingly prevalent issue worldwide; in 2022, the #KeepItOn coalition recorded 187 shutdowns in 35 countries.
Shutdowns can be the result of government suppression of protests, election tampering and control of information during conflicts like coups.
Typically the goals of internet shutdowns are to control official narratives and crack down on freedom of expression and dissent.
Shutdowns can last for hours to weeks, with notable 2023 shutdowns including Russian military shutdowns in parts of Ukraine, Ethiopian government’s shutdowns in Tigray, and during a series of incidents in India including a police search in Punjab and protests in Manipur.
Bridging digital divides
Many of the alternative tools we discuss here are helpful in bridging some of the barriers of the digital divide, including widening internet access through community networks and alternatives like offline information sharing and community radio.
The digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to devices and the internet and those who do not.
It is shaped by factors such as:
lack of infrastructure (especially in rural areas),
cost of wifi and data (socio-economic barriers), and
literacy, language of online resources and digital literacy.
These factors are further impacted by people’s socio-economic status, race/ethnicity, indigenous status, sexuality, gender and other forms of marginalised identities.
Even in areas that have the infrastructure in place for internet access, other scenarios such as load shedding and poor quality connections can impact people's ability to access the internet.
In our own work, we have particularly seen how many social justice organisations struggle with low quality internet connections, expensive data and lack of devices.
How low-tech tools can contribute to a lower environmental impact
The environmental harms of many technological innovations and the internet are pressing reasons for exploring alternative tools.
Low tech tools offer an alternative to resource-intensive tools that rely on water hungry large data centres and excessive mineral extraction.
These could look like solar powered wifi, batteries and websites, reusable open source code, or more offline data sharing. Further, in the wake of growing natural disasters like the wildfires in Hawaii and Canada, intensive flooding in Libya and earthquakes in Morocco, there is an urgent need for alternative tools that can transmit life saving information and communication services during power or internet outages and areas with weak internet connectivity.
In this research, tools that allow for offline information sharing as well as mesh networks fill some of these gaps, but there is a need for more in-depth research for adapting to these situations.
Research: Olivia Johnson. Last updated: January 2024
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