2023:Program/Submissions/Digital Safety and Security: A Socio-Economic Overview of Odia-Language Speakers - GEHHRJ

The following is a mirror of what are publicly available details of submission made at the call for proposal platform, Pretalx. Any changes here may be overwritten by a bot while syncing updates from Pretalx ([1]). Changes are monitored and may be updated into Pretalx if they do not change the context of the submission (i.e. correcting typographical errors).

Title: Digital Safety and Security: A Socio-Economic Overview of Odia-Language Speakers

Speakers:

Subhashish Panigrahi

Subhashish Panigrahi is a public-interest archivist, researcher, non-fiction filmmaker, and civil society leader from India. A National Geographic Explorer, he has directed and produced nine critically acclaimed nonfiction films, including “MarginalizedAadhaar”, “Nani Ma,” the first documentary in the Baleswari-Odia dialect, and “Gyani Maiya”. His films often focus on conserving endangered languages, digital rights, and the open internet movement, particularly in South Asia. He has created a speech data repository in his native language Odia and dialect Baleswari-Odia, that has a total of over 62,000 audio recordings, the largest in the language and all under a Universal Public Domain Release (CC0 1.0).

Subhashish Panigrahi

Pretalx link

Etherpad link

Room:

Start time:

End time:

Type: Lecture

Track: Legal, Advocacy, and Risks

Submission state: submitted

Duration: 30 minutes

Do not record: false

Presentation language: en

Abstract & description

Abstract

Supported by Rising Voices, this mixed-method study is focused on understanding the digital safety and security of India's Odia-language users in the context of systemic socio-economic barriers. Apps and platforms, including Wikimedia projects, were studied, and Wikimedians were interviewed to validate the analysis from the literature study.

Description

India's caste system and gender oppression impact access to information and technology, resulting in marginalized groups, such as Dalit and Adivasi (indigenous) peoples, and women, experiencing increased vulnerability to digital risks in India. This study examines the digital safety and security experiences of native and second-language Odia-speaking users in eastern India. While Odia dominates its neighboring languages, its speakers are both privileged and marginalized in a linguistically hierarchized society. The study looks at the impact of various socioeconomic factors, such as linguistic and digital fluency, gender, caste, access to know-how, and the ability to purchase devices and data, on users’ access to digital risks. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with three individuals, each positioned uniquely in relation to their linguistic and digital fluency, and frames recommendations based on the findings to improve the current state of digital safety and security risks.

As a part of a research project, this study looks at the historical caste-based socio-economic oppression faced by Dalits which has resulted in delayed smartphone fluency, affecting their digital presence. Women from low- and mid-income groups often have a repressed digital presence due to low literacy, access to technology, and fear of the unknown. The study highlights the need for short-term mitigation and long-term efforts to better the digital safety and security awareness for the marginalized Odia speakers, bridge the digital divide, and provide equal access to technology and information for them all. In conclusion, I argue that it is the systemic sociolinguistic issues, not the technological ones, that play a key role in Odia speakers' digital safety and security.

Further details

Qn. How does your session relate to the event themes: Diversity, Collaboration Future?

The central theme of this study is diversity. It looks deeper into the digital safety and security risks, barriers to access knowhow to better the state of user safety, and recommendations for future design. Wikimedia projects particularly would be benefitted greatly from this research.

Qn. What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?

Everyone can participate in this session

Qn. What is the most appropriate format for this session?

• Onsite in Singapore
• Remote online participation, livestreamed
• Remote from a satellite event
• Hybrid with some participants in Singapore and others dialing in remotely
• Pre-recorded and available on demand