2 billion new internet users joined in 5 years but growth is uneven

2 billion new internet users joined in 5 years but growth is uneven | Digital Nations | GZERO Media

A whopping two billion new internet users have come online in the past five years. This transformative shift, driven in part by the pandemic, has revolutionized the way people learn and work. But it’s important to note that this growth is not evenly distributed, and significant efforts are required, particularly in Africa, to bridge the digital divide, says Digital Impact Alliance CEO Priya Vora.

Vora emphasizes the importance in addressing issues of trust, individual agency, and data privacy as the digital world continues its rapid expansion. She also touches on the changing landscape of digital commerce, where a few dominant players could translate economic power into political influence. As the conversation and challenges surrounding the digital world evolve, so too should the global response, says Vora.

Vora joined other geotech experts in a GZERO livestream event, presented by Visa, to discuss the challenges and opportunities that nation-states face when it comes to digitization, and how it could shape a more inclusive and resilient future.

Watch the full livestream conversation: What Ukraine's digital revolution teaches the world

More from GZERO Media

Café Esplanade, a fancy coffee shop that was designed by a celebrated modernist architect and frequented by many from Brno’s once-thriving Jewish community.
Brno Architecture Manual

A woman at the recent United for Israel March at Columbia University told GZERO Senior Writer Alex Kliment that the school itself had become “like 1939 Germany, and I don’t say that lightly.” Kliment doesn't say this lightly either: Get a hold of yourselves.

Students gather in front of the Sorbonne University in support of Palestinians in Gaza, during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Paris, France, April 29, 2024.
REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

As police ramp up efforts to dismantle pro-Palestine encampments and demonstrations on US campuses, the student protests are going global.

Campus protests spill over into US political sphere | GZERO US Politics

For the second week running, campus protests continue to dominate headlines. They are starting to spill into the political sphere, especially as efforts to quell demonstrations on college campuses nationwide intensify.

A car burns after the destruction of Mariupol children's hospital as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, in Mariupol, Ukraine, March 9, 2022 in this still image from a handout video obtained by Reuters.
Ukraine Military/Handout via REUTERS

The US State Department accused Russia on Thursday of using a chemical weapon called chloropicrin against Ukrainian soldiers.

Presidential candidate Jose Raul Mulino arrives at a campaign rally, in Panama City, Panama, April 10, 2024.
REUTERS/Aris Martinez

This weekend, Panamanians will elect a president after a roller-coaster campaign period that has featured a dog with an X (formerly Twitter) account and a popular former president hiding in the storage room of a foreign embassy.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters after the weekly policy lunch in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., October 29, 2019.
REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger

In response to roiling campus protests, the House of Representatives passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act on Wednesday.