Internet Geographies: Data Shadows and Digital Divisions of Labour

Abstract

Across the globe, daily economic, social, and political activities increasingly revolve around the use of content on the Internet. This content influences our understandings of, and interactions with, our social environment. Yet it is remarkable how little we know about the broader contexts in which much of that content in created. As such, this chapter sets out to comprehensively uncover: (1) where Internet content is being created; (2) whether the amount of content created in different places is changing over time; and (3) the ways in which landscapes of content are structured and formed. Mapping the geographic diversity and concentration of a broad variety of sources of online content is ultimately crucial to develop more informed strategies to combat digital divides and ultimately benefit those who are left out of flows of information.