The dark side of digitalization – and how to fix it

The dark side of digitalization – and how to fix it

The digital revolution is changing the way we live and interact, but it is neither sustainable nor equitable.

COVID-19 is accelerating the shift towards digitalization, but it is also widening digital divides.

The digital economy can accelerate the recovery from the pandemic, but governments need to ensure it is inclusive - starting today.



The digital economy has finally arrived. During the mid-1990s, technology enthusiasts predicted that the rapid spread of the internet and super-computing would generate new efficiencies, innovations and economies of scale. But the promised revolution in e-business and e-commerce stalled when the dot-com bubble burst. Since then, however, the world's digital footprint has increased exponentially. Today, global IP traffic is almost 150,000 GB per second compared to 100 GB per day three decades ago. Ubiquitous data