Blog #8: Malawi and the Surveillance State
By: Sam Whitty With increased implementation of technology in both the government and the private sector, Malawi is working hard to catch up to the rest of the world. Currently, it does not have the infrastructure for a robust technological market. Malawi is only ranked 168 out of 175 countries in the 2016 edition of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Global ICT Development Index ( 2 ). In the future however, Malawi is planning to develop its market for technology to revolutionize the country. They cannot do it alone, however. In 2017, the World Bank released $72.4 million to help Malawi connect to the global digital market, and investments into technology are becoming more widespread as time goes on. While a technological future for Malawi may sound like welcome progress for the nation, it comes with troubling consequences. Because Malawi is late to use technologies widespread, the government must be responsible and learn from other nations