I had a fun time learning about how the internet started. Something that started as a way to
catch up and play gain political power over the Russians, ended up being a mesh that now
connects most of the world. It was also interesting to think about how the internet has now
been monopolized by a handful of corporations when it was initially supposed to be independent
of anyone’s control. This got me thinking about the ethical considerations of internet access
and technology as a whole.

The situation being what it currently is, multinational corporations have a huge over where
access to these important resources is easy. Since all of them are driven by monetary profits,
they are inherently biased to keep increasing and facilitating access to the rich. Meanwhile,
other parts of the world seem to be left behind just because the corporations did not find any
interest in investing there. For example, the image below shows how well the “World Wide Web”
really connects the world.

Fig: worldwide connectivity in 2016 as made by John Matherly

This image shows intense connectivity in most of the “Western World” and little connection in most
of Africa and the middle east. This goes to show how people will bring their own bias and
inequitable preferences in giving access to such a crucial thing as the internet. Considering the
fraction of the African population that is connected to the internet, I don’t think it is reasonable
to say that there is such a thing as a global connection today. As long as the big corporations
control and monopolize access to the internet, there can be no worldwide connectivity. Even though a
lot of the authors this week talk about what the web could be for those who have experienced it
through the big corporations’ lens, they fail to mention the multitude of people who still haven’t
accessed the internet due to neglect and greed.