Paper Number
ICIS2026-1762
Paper Type
Completed
Abstract
Data extractivism refers to the appropriation of data from underrepresented communities typically by large technology firms from the Global North without fair acknowledgment, compensation, or collaboration. Thereby it exploits open data ecosystems at the expense of local communities and reinforces existing asymmetries in ownership, control, and value capture. To understand how data extractivism emerges in the African data ecosystem and how tiered licenses affect it, we conduct a qualitative case study drawing on 20 interviews and document analysis. We apply critical realism as a theoretical lens to identify events, stakeholders, structures, and retrodict the underlying mechanisms at play. Our findings present an analysis of the mechanisms promoting data extractivism and the effects of tiered licenses on them. Our paper contributes to academic research by enriching the discussion on open data ecosystems, explaining the emergence of data extractivism, and applying critical realism in the analysis of ecosystem interventions.
Recommended Citation
Feick, Felicitas; Kreuzer, Thomas; Nehring, Jan; Oberländer, Anna Maria; Plank, Tobias Bernhard; and Rutunda, Samuel, "Data Extractivism and the Role of Licensing – A Critical Realist Case Study in East African Data Ecosystems" (2026). ICIS 2026 Proceedings. 3.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2026/society/society/3
Data Extractivism and the Role of Licensing – A Critical Realist Case Study in East African Data Ecosystems
Data extractivism refers to the appropriation of data from underrepresented communities typically by large technology firms from the Global North without fair acknowledgment, compensation, or collaboration. Thereby it exploits open data ecosystems at the expense of local communities and reinforces existing asymmetries in ownership, control, and value capture. To understand how data extractivism emerges in the African data ecosystem and how tiered licenses affect it, we conduct a qualitative case study drawing on 20 interviews and document analysis. We apply critical realism as a theoretical lens to identify events, stakeholders, structures, and retrodict the underlying mechanisms at play. Our findings present an analysis of the mechanisms promoting data extractivism and the effects of tiered licenses on them. Our paper contributes to academic research by enriching the discussion on open data ecosystems, explaining the emergence of data extractivism, and applying critical realism in the analysis of ecosystem interventions.
Comments
06_Societal_impacts