Annex III: Glossary

Digital Strategy

Speeches Shim

This document uses the following definitions. Some terms lack a universally recognized definition.

ADOPTION

Changes that happen when people or institutions begin to use a new technology and incorporate it into their existing routines or processes. For example, people who use a mobile-money account to receive remittances and pay bills would be considered “adopters,” while those who make a one-time withdrawal to empty a cash-transfer account would not.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

The science and technology of creating intelligent systems. Machine learning (ML) often enables AI systems, which apply data-derived predictions to automate decisions. While ML focuses on learning and prediction, AI applications often create, plan, or do something in the real world.119 Automated decisions might be directly implemented (e.g., in robotics) or suggested to a human decision-maker (e.g., product recommendations in online shopping).

CENSORSHIP

The suppression of free speech by governments or private institutions based on the assumption that said speech is objectionable or offensive.120 In addition to hard forms of censorship (handed down officially through laws and regulations), soft forms of censorship exist (applied through financial and/or reputational pressure).121

CIVIL LIBERTIES

Individual rights protected from unjust interference by governmental or other actors. In the United States, the first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, enshrine these rights. Civil liberties include the right to the freedoms of expression and association and peaceful assembly, also recognized as universal human rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.122

CYBERSECURITY

The prevention of damage to, protection of, and restoration of computers, electronic communications systems, electronic communications services, wire communication, and electronic communication, including information contained therein, to ensure its availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and nonrepudiation.123 As the Cybersecurity Strategy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) emphasizes: “Cybersecurity is not an end unto itself, and efforts to mitigate cybersecurity risks must also support international commerce, strengthen international security, and foster free expression and innovation.”124

DATA LOCALIZATION LAWS

Laws that require data to be stored, processed, or handled within the borders of the country where the data originated. Many countries are adopting data-localization laws to avoid surveillance or interference by foreign governments or corporations. At the same time, data-localization laws can leave citizens and businesses with no means to avoid surveillance by the intelligence agencies of their own governments and hinder cross-border flows of data, which can have a negative effect on e-commerce and the development of an open, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystem.125

DATA PRIVACY

The right of an individual or group to maintain control over, and the confidentiality of, information about themselves, especially when that intrusion results from undue or illegal gathering and use of data about that individual or group.126

DATA PROTECTION

The practice of ensuring the protection of data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction, to provide confidentiality, integrity, and availability.127

DIGITAL AUTHORITARIANISM

The use of digital information technology by authoritarian regimes to surveil, repress, and manipulate domestic and foreign populations.128

DIGITAL DIVIDE

The distinction between those who have access to the Internet and can make use of digital communications services, and those who find themselves excluded from these services.129 Often, one can point to multiple and overlapping digital divides, which stem from inequities in access, literacy, cost, or the relevance of services. Factors such as high cost and limited infrastructure often exacerbate digital divides.

DIGITAL ECONOMY

The use of digital and Internet infrastructure by individuals, businesses, and government to interact with each other, engage in economic activity, and access both digital and non-digital goods and services. As the ecosystem supporting it matures, the digital economy might grow to encompass all sectors of the economy—a transformation driven by both the rise of new services and entrants, as well as backward linkages with the traditional, pre-digital economy. A diverse array of technologies and platforms facilitate activity in the digital economy; however, much activity relies in some measure on the Internet, mobile phones, digital data, and digital payments.

DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM

The stakeholders, systems, and enabling environment that together empower people and communities to use digital technology to gain access to services, engage with each other, or pursue economic opportunities. A digital ecosystem is conceptually similar to, but broader than, a digital economy. Although certain aspects of the digital ecosystem have country-wide reach, other features differ across geographies or communities. The critical pillars of a digital ecosystem include the following: (1) sound enabling environment and policy commitment; (2) robust and resilient digital infrastructure; (3) capable digital service-providers and workforce (e.g., both public and private institutions); and, (4) empowered end-users of digitally enabled services.

DIGITAL IDENTITY

The widely accepted Principles on Identification130 define identity as “a set of attributes that uniquely describes an individual or entity.” Digital identification (ID) systems often require registering individuals onto a computerized database and providing certain credentials (e.g., identifying numbers, cards, digital certificates, etc.) as proof of identity. Government actors can set up these systems to create foundational, national ID programs, or donors or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for functional purposes to identify beneficiaries, e.g., for humanitarian assistance and service-delivery.

DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE

The foundational components that enable digital technologies and services. Examples of digital infrastructure include fiber-optic cables, cell towers, satellites, data centers, software platforms, and end-user devices.

DIGITAL LITERACY

The ability to “access, manage, understand, integrate, communicate, evaluate, and create information safely and appropriately through digital devices and networked technologies for participation in economic and social life. This may include competencies that are variously referred to as computer literacy, information and communication technology (ICT) literacy, information literacy, and media literacy.”131

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

This Strategy uses the term “digital technology” not only to describe a type of technology but also to refer to the platforms, processes, and range of technologies that underpin modern ICT, including the Internet and mobile-phone platforms, as well as advanced data infrastructure and analytical approaches.

DIGITAL TOOL

Application of digital technologies to meet a specific human need. Digital tools differ from infrastructure in that they are geared toward a specific application, while infrastructure tends to be more general-purpose.

DIGITAL TRADE (or ELECTRONIC COMMERCE or E-COMMERCE)

According to the World Trade Organization, the production, distribution, marketing, sale, or delivery of goods and services by electronic means.132

DISINFORMATION

A piece of information that is intentionally false or misleading and deliberately used by the producer to achieve a specific social, economic, and/or political objective. Disinformation is often confused with misinformation, which is false or misleading information shared by error or mistake.133

DOXING

The act of publishing personally identifiable information (PII) online without an individual’s consent with the intent to cause harm to that individual’s reputation and/or physical safety.134

HATE SPEECH

The use of speech to make direct attacks against an individual or a group of people based on a series of protected characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and physical or mental ability.135

INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT

An approach to development that ensures all people are included, can participate fully in, and benefit from development efforts.136

INTERNET FREEDOM

According to the United States Government, the online exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms regardless of frontiers or medium. The same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular freedom of expression, which is applicable regardless of frontiers and through any media of one’s choice.137

INTERNET OF THINGS

A global infrastructure for the information society that enables advanced services by interconnecting (physical and virtual) things based on existing and evolving interoperable information and communication technologies.138

MACHINE LEARNING (ML)

A set of methods that train computers to learn from data, where “learning” generally amounts to the detection of patterns or structures in data. ML approaches begin by finding patterns in a subset of existing data and use them to make predictions for new, unseen data.139

PARTNER

An organization or individual with which/whom the U.S. Agency for International Development collaborates to achieve mutually agreed upon objectives and to secure the participation of ultimate customers. Partners include host-country governments, private voluntary organizations, local and international non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, universities, other U.S. Government Departments and Agencies, the United Nations and other multilateral organizations, professional and business associations, and private businesses and individuals.140

PLATFORM

A group of technologies used as a base upon which other technologies can be built or applications and services run. For example, the Internet is a platform that enables web applications and services.

UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS

A set of rights inherent to all people regardless of place of birth, nationality, and/or citizenship, as defined by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the rights to life, liberty, and security of person; freedom from slavery and torture; freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly; as well as the right to access work and education.141

VIOLENT EXTREMISM

Advocating, engaging in, preparing, or otherwise supporting ideologically motivated violence to further social, economic, political, or religious objectives.142