Abstract

Purpose: This article critically examines the concept of data colonialism as a structural manifestation of power in the global digital economy. It interrogates how digital platforms, data extraction practices, and algorithmic governance reproduce and expand colonial power relations under contemporary capitalism, particularly across global North–South divides.

Design/Methodology: Using a qualitative doctrinal methodology, the study conducts a deep theoretical and critical analysis of existing academic literature, policy reports, and decolonial frameworks to synthesize a refined understanding of data colonialism. The focus is not empirical data collection but rigorous conceptual interrogation informed by critical theory, political economy, and postcolonial scholarship.

Findings: The analysis reveals that contemporary digital infrastructures and data governance regimes operate as instruments of neocolonial accumulation, perpetuating asymmetries in economic power, knowledge production, and political sovereignty. Big Tech’s control over data flows, digital labor, and platform value extraction reproduces forms of structural domination that mirror historical colonialism while generating novel dependencies in digital economies. Decolonial perspectives further illuminate how claims to data sovereignty are constrained by global power imbalances and necessitate alternative ethical frameworks.

Originality/Value: This article advances data colonialism research by integrating critical insights from decolonial theory, digital political economy, and regional case studies, challenging dominant narratives that equate digital development with empowerment. It foregrounds the need to reconceptualize data governance beyond extraction and regulatory amelioration toward systemic power redistribution.