– Open Letter –
To Big Tech Corporations, Policymakers, and Global Institutions,
We, the undersigned, representing diverse communities, activists, Indigenous communities and feminist networks, urgently call for accountability, transparency, equity, and justice in the governance of emerging technologies. The unchecked expansion of Big Tech has resulted in the deepening of gender-based oppression, environmental dispossession, and the systemic silencing of marginalized voices. We refuse to allow technology to become yet another tool of colonial exploitation and demand immediate reforms in the way technology is developed, governed, and deployed.
Our Demands
1. End Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV)
Women, LGBTQ+ individuals, Indigenous and marginalized communities continue to suffer from online gender-based violence, including doxxing, deepfake pornography, cyber-harassment, and digital surveillance. Tech platforms must be held accountable for enabling harm. We demand:
- Immediate reinvestment in Trust & Safety teams with a focus on non-English language content moderation.
- Comprehensive policies to combat sextortion, non-consensual intimate imagery, and AI-generated GBV content.
- Legally binding regulations requiring tech firms to protect survivors and hold perpetrators accountable.
2. Dismantle Digital Colonialism in Environmental Governance
Big Tech corporations are exploiting planetary data and violating Indigenous Peoples’ sovereignty over land and environmental governance. We demand:
- Transparency in the collection and sale of environmental data that impacts Indigenous and local communities lands and territories.
- The recognition of Indigenous Data Sovereignty as a human right in AI governance and planetary monitoring.
- Protection of frontline environmental defenders from digital surveillance and criminalization.
3. Combat Disinformation & Narrative Manipulation
Women, activists, and Indigenous leaders are systematically silenced through state-backed disinformation campaigns and algorithmic biases that amplify hate speech. We demand:
- Stronger oversight on AI-generated misinformation and accountability for tech platforms profiting from disinformation.
- Transparency on algorithmic decision-making to ensure feminist and Indigenous voices are not shadow-banned or deplatformed.
- Equitable access to digital safety training for activists and feminist journalists at risk.
4. Invest in Feminist-Led Tech Development & Governance
Technology governance must shift away from corporate control toward democratic, feminist, and community-led models. We demand:
- Inclusion of feminist technologists, Indigenous leaders, and community-driven organizations in AI and digital governance frameworks.
- Regulations on tech corporations to prevent exploitative labor practices and environmental degradation in supply chains.
- Funding for feminist-led digital initiatives that prioritize ethical AI, data justice, and sustainable tech infrastructure.
This is a call to action. We urge governments, policymakers, and technology companies to recognize their responsibility in building an equitable digital future. If technology is to serve humanity, it must be just, inclusive, and free from colonialist exploitation and facilitation of gender-based violence.
We, the undersigned, demand that these issues be addressed with urgency. The future of technology must be feminist, decolonized, and just.
Signed,
[Signatories and Organizations]
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Read the new report:
Decolonizing Emerging Technology – An Intersectional Feminist Approach to Resisting Technology-Facilitated Oppression
Emerging technologies are exacerbating gender-based violence (GBV), disinformation, and environmental dispossession, disproportionately affecting womxn, LGBTQ+ individuals, and Indigenous Peoples. Large technology companies, also known as Big Tech, operate without sufficient accountability, reinforcing digital colonialism and economic exploitation. This paper outlines urgent policy gaps and presents recommendations for feminist-led, inclusive technology governance. This report presents key findings from a workshop exploring these issues and provides recommendations for feminist-led, inclusive technology governance.
The Decolonizing Emerging Technology workshop at the 2024 Asia Pacific Feminist Forum brought together participants from across Asia to explore how Big Tech facilitates oppression, particularly in gendered and environmental contexts. Through an intersectional feminist approach, the session unpacked how emerging technologies exacerbate gender-based violence, disinformation, and environmental dispossession, while sidelining Indigenous and marginalized voices.
Artwork Courtesy of: @Tufan’s Artbin
