Bangkok, 2-5 April 2026 – INITIATE.MY founder and executive director, Aizat Shamsuddin participated in Recording Digital Future, a regional convening examining platform accountability, internet governance and digital activism across South Asia. This report captures the key themes and outcomes that emerged.
On platform accountability, big tech monopolies and governments are exploiting digital spaces at the expense of users, and the path to a fairer internet by 2056 runs through community ownership, open-source alternatives, and regional solidarity. To achieve this, the convene have suggested:
- Break up platform monopolies and push for design-based (not just content-based) accountability
- Build community-owned, interoperable, open-source alternative platforms
- Expand digital literacy and STEM education, especially for marginalised communities
- Develop rights-respecting regional regulation grounded in universal values
- Strengthen civil society collaboration across South and Southeast Asia
The consensus was not “no platforms” but “no monopolies,” with co-regulation, open-source design, and community governance as the key mechanisms.
On the topic of internet governance, these are the summaries and general recommendations from the convene:
- Internet as a fundamental human right, with communal/decentralised control replacing tech oligarchies and state dominance
- Inclusive, community-informed AI and digital governance with vulnerable groups at the table
- Address the digital divide: universal access, digital literacy, and locally built alternatives
- Knowledge-sharing, legal advocacy, and movement-building as key action steps
On regional and Global South collaboration, participants called for donors to co-create context-driven priorities with local civil society and provide long-term core funding. Interdisciplinary networks linking researchers, technologists, and civil society were seen as essential, alongside open-source, locally adaptable tools and ethical AI development as models worth pursuing collectively.
On digital activism, participants proposed an introductory online meeting and quarterly gatherings to discuss shared issues such as Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), hate speech, and safe digital spaces. A South Asian glossary of key terms was also proposed to improve communication with vulnerable communities across the region.
Overall, Recording Digital Futures 2026 reinforced a clear regional consensus: the digital future must be built with, not for, the communities most affected by platform harms and governance failures. For INITIATE.MY, the convening will inform its advocacy priorities and cross-border collaborations in the year ahead.
