Internet.org and the rhetoric of connectivity

This article analyzes the discursive construction of Facebook's goal to build Internet connectivity in India through its "internet.org" project. I argue that the rhetoric of connectivity emergent in this project uses the language of empowerment and innovation to operationalize a mode...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inCommunication and critical/cultural studies Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 54 - 73
Main Author Chari, Vipulya
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 02.01.2022
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Connectivity
Cultural studies
Culture
Digital India
digital infrastructures
Facebook
Free Basics
Internet
Mark Zuckerberg
Modernization
Social networks
India
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:This article analyzes the discursive construction of Facebook's goal to build Internet connectivity in India through its "internet.org" project. I argue that the rhetoric of connectivity emergent in this project uses the language of empowerment and innovation to operationalize a mode of entrepreneurial philanthropy amenable to millennial development that in reality reflects notions of progress reminiscent of colonial modernization practices. I also contend that this case demonstrates the need to understand the particular technopolitics of everyday encounters with infrastructures that cannot be reduced to any single vision of connectivity or singular understanding of digital contexts.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
ISSN:1479-1420
1479-4233
DOI:10.1080/14791420.2022.2028875