30 April 2025, NIICE Commentary 10779
Anurag Paul
The profound and interwoven legacies of colonialism persist in shaping modern-day international relations, particularly through the intersecting realities of digital colonialism and the practice of torture. The digital transformation in a globalized world, paired with enduring human rights violations, reveals not only the persistence of inequality but also the troubling trajectories of power in the digital age. In this essay, we will explore how these phenomena, digital colonialism and torture, are not merely historical aberrations but rather present-day realities that demand urgent attention in the context of international relations. By drawing on both the enduring legacies of colonialism and the modern ramifications of globalised technology, we explore the role of technology in perpetuating inequality and how the torture of the human soul manifests not only through physical violence but also through digital platforms that commodify, commoditize, and degrade human dignity.
The Legacy of Colonialism in the Digital Age
Colonialism, both in its brutal physical form and in its more insidious modern iterations, continues to shape the world’s geopolitical and socio-economic dynamics. While formal colonial rule may have ended decades ago, the ripple effects are omnipresent. Today, the battlefield is not only found in the geopolitical spheres where nations vie for territorial control but also in the digital landscape, where multinational corporations hold the power to shape identities, influence behaviours, and perpetuate ideologies. This new form of colonialism is often referred to as "digital colonialism." It is a phenomenon where global technological platforms and networks, dominated by Western and Chinese entities, assert control over information flows, economic structures, and cultural norms, leading to the reinforcement of the very ideologies that once justified imperialism.
In India, for example, the infiltration of Western and Chinese technologies, particularly social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and the ubiquitous smartphone apps produced by Chinese companies such as Xiaomi, has resulted in the creation of a virtual space that mirrors the beauty standards and racial hierarchies of the West. The impact of digital photo filters, which often lighten skin tones or accentuate European features, is profound, especially for young women in post-colonial societies. This phenomenon, often termed "digital fair and lovely," is a direct descendant of colonial ideologies that promoted the "whitening" of native populations as a means of establishing their inferiority. The pervasiveness of these digital tools and the algorithms that drive them, contribute to a new form of psychological colonialism that subjects people in formerly colonised nations to constant self-surveillance and self-alienation. These digital tools reshape identities, reinforce Western ideals of beauty, and perpetuate colonial-era racial biases under the guise of technological innovation.
This "digital colonialism" is not limited to beauty standards but permeates cultural, political, and social systems. As technology becomes a means of asserting dominance, the very structure of global capitalism is tilted in favor of a small group of powerful digital corporations, leaving nations like India to grapple with a complicated relationship to both China and the United States. These geopolitical tensions add layers of complexity to the digital divide, as nations attempt to balance economic interests, technological dependence, and sovereignty while contending with the cultural impositions of the global North.
The Persistence of Torture in International Relations
While digital colonialism impacts identities on a global scale, the practice of physical and psychological torture remains a weapon of power wielded by both state and non-state actors. Despite the broad prohibitions in international law, torture remains rampant, used as a tool of control, intimidation, and ideological suppression. This abuse is not relegated solely to the past but continues to plague modern international relations, particularly in regions marked by internal conflict, political oppression, and human rights abuses.
The philosophical underpinnings of torture, as discussed by Jean-Paul Sartre and David Sussman, suggest that the ultimate aim of torture is to reduce the victim to a state of subhuman existence, a stripping away of human dignity that can only be redeemed by submission. The torturer, in this framework, wields absolute power, turning the victim into a mirror of their own inferiority, forcing them into a desperate pursuit of pleasing the torturer. This dynamic is not only about extracting information or confessions but about dehumanizing the victim, rendering them both psychologically and physically broken.
In the context of international relations, torture often becomes a tool for political regimes to consolidate power, neutralize dissent, and impose ideologies. The United States' use of torture in Guantanamo Bay serves as a harrowing example of how international law can be circumvented by powerful nations. Despite the legal prohibitions against torture under instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention Against Torture, powerful states often sidestep these laws with impunity. The "ticking-bomb" justification, popularized by writers like Jean Larteguy, seeks to rationalize torture as a necessary evil in the fight against terrorism, but this rationale is deeply flawed and reflects a broader disregard for human dignity in the pursuit of political and military goals.
Additionally, the U.K.’s controversial 2022 deal with Rwanda to deport refugees exemplifies the intersection of state-sponsored violence, human rights violations, and international politics. Despite widespread condemnation from human rights organizations and legal experts, this deal persists, reinforcing the idea that powerful nations are often above the law. The hypocrisy of the so-called "global champions of human rights" engaging in such practices not only undermines their moral authority but exposes the failure of the international community to enforce human rights universally.
The Intersection of Digital Colonialism and Torture in Global Politics
The intersection of digital colonialism and torture becomes most apparent when we recognize that both phenomena operate through systems of power that undermine human dignity. The digital landscape, much like the practices of torture, serves as a tool for coercion and control. Digital platforms, with their ubiquitous surveillance tools, algorithms, and engagement metrics, shape and manipulate user behavior to conform to particular political, economic, and cultural norms. In doing so, they often reinforce existing power structures that marginalize the most vulnerable groups in society.
As countries navigate the complexities of digital colonialism, they must also contend with the deeply entrenched legacy of torture in global politics. Torture, in this sense, is not just a physical act but a psychological one – one that takes place in the digital space, as individuals are forced to conform to an idealized image of themselves, shaped by foreign algorithms and manipulated by international corporations. The commodification of the self in the digital realm mirrors the subjugation of individuals through physical torture: both are systems of control, designed to break the spirit and identity of the individual.
Conclusion: A Call for Global Transformation
The international community must reject the complacency that allows both digital colonialism and torture to persist unchecked. This can only be achieved through collective global action – action that involves not only political and legal reforms but also a cultural shift towards greater empathy, justice, and human dignity. The future of international relations depends on how we respond to these issues, as they represent the ultimate test of whether the world will choose to perpetuate systems of oppression or break free from the legacies of colonialism and violence. The fight for human dignity, both online and offline, must be at the heart of this global transformation.
Anurag Paul is a Research Intern at NIICE and is currently pursuing his Master of Arts in Political Science at Indira Gandhi National Open University, India.
Leave a Reply