Written evidence submitted by Dr Rama Kanungo

Connected tech: smart or sinister?

Written evidence submitted to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Submitted by:

Dr Rama Kanungo

Rama Kanungo is Senior Lecturer in Finance at Newcastle University, UK. Much of his research is driven by the more realistic, fundamental and empirical process of decision-making, which is interdisciplinary and surrounded by analytical and computational queries to study Financial Technology, Digitalisation, Circular Economy, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As), Risk and Liquidity, and International Business within financial market and beyond.

Response to the DCMS committee’s inquiries:

• What has been or will be the most important impacts of increasingly prevalent smart and connected technology in our lives, including in the home, in the workplace and in our towns and cities, and are they necessarily better than current systems?

The Global Risks Report 2018 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) indicates that increasing usage of digital means is becoming a key societal risk, although under-recognised and implied.[1] Over the last decades, our society has witnessed a growing prevalence of digital connectedness, that seems indispensable to our daily lives. Such connectedness has promoted and substantially influenced our socio-political and socio-economic perspectives. It has improved our communication, healthcare needs, political awareness, social sharing and educational welfare. In line with Industrial revolution 4.0 and G7 digital standard practice,[2] a cohesive, integrated and globally viable approach should be put in place for multi-lateral and inclusive growth. A summary of sectoral digital connectedness and its impact is outlined in the following table

• Are there any groups in society who may particularly benefit from or be vulnerable to the increasing prevalence of smart technology, such as young or elderly people, people with disabilities and people likely to be digitally excluded?

Smart and connected technology has created technological diffusion. However, the real benefit of technological connectedness has not reached a sizable proportion of the population. Smart and connected technology can bring socio-economic-political prosperity however, it has a dark side. For instance, over 50% of adolescents engage with others through online platforms and digital platforms are becoming increasingly central to their socio-emotional development. Depression, anxieties, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), fatigue, and lack of self-determination, arising from the usage of digital means, can compromise and affect the quality of life. On the contrary, socially excluded or disenfranchised populations can benefit from digital connectedness through formal access to financial, legal and healthcare facilities.

• How can we incentivise or encourage design that is safe, secure, environmentally- and user-friendly and human rights compliant?

Our society, with collective efforts, can generate greater digital awareness. Particularly, we can promote moral guidance that could potentially improve our scientific quest for safe, secure, environmentally- and user-friendly and human rights-compliant digital devices and services. Particularly, the principles of moral guidance should be included in the primary and secondary level curriculum.  For example, better self-realization, responsible societal actions, accountable relationships, and effective digital responsibility should be our guiding principles. We need to promote collective aspiration through the institutional and governance framework. In addition, we can incentivise this by institutional practice and by supporting the big-tech firms through a reward system as a part of their mandatory disclosure.

• What are the key short- and long-term risks and threats, and how can we ensure the devices, systems and networks of individuals, businesses and organisations are digitally-literate and cyber secure?

Despite digital regulations driving growth and innovation, the risks and threats remain present and even accelerating.[7] The significant short- and long-term risks and threats are many, but most notably, digitalisation can lead to digital harm affecting our socio-psychological and even pathological conditions. For example, breach of our privacy, compromised ethical practices and norms, sanitization of radicalization, polarisation of social groups, fragmented moral identity as an antecedent of constructive voice behaviour, and behavioural disorders.

To ensure that the devices, systems and networks of individuals, businesses and organisations are digitally-literate and cyber secure, we need a two-tier approach, i.e., one at the institutional level and another one at the governance level. At the Institutional level, regulations are to be monitored and a periodic ledger needs to be produced for further scrutiny by the government, social agencies and peer groups.

At the governance level, self-help groups (SHGs) should be set up to improve digital literacy and educate people about cyber security. The SHGs should start with specific towns/cities for initiating pilot studies, and subsequently evaluate how this approach could be spread across the country.

Endnotes