Abstract At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers’ attention focused heavily on K–12 student connectivity. By contrast, college students were largely “presumed connected,” even as they lost access to campus Wi-Fi, computer labs, and other digital resources. This study asks what lessons were learned and not learned by university administrators when it came to digital inequality on their campuses during the pandemic. To address this question, the article’s authors relied on a series of student surveys and policy analyses. This article offers evidence-based policy recommendations to university leaders for effectively addressing digital inequality among their student populations as we look beyond the pandemic.

Abstract Student-organized activism and obfuscation respond to intrusive surveillance in digital assessment within higher education. This article explores privacy surveillance disconnects and the emergence of protests against antinormative practices. Employing qualitative and quantitative methods, including content analysis of subreddits focused on higher education, student privacy, and specific university campus communities, the study considers multiple stakeholders’ perspectives. The findings illustrate the creative avenues students have adopted to counter online assessment tools. Emphasizing the significance of privacy and autonomy in higher education, this work sheds light on the challenges faced by students and provides insights into their strategies for addressing privacy concerns.

Abstract To explore the expanding role of libraries in providing internet access and promoting digital literacy, this article examines ten libraries in one state that developed Digital Navigator programs. Representing a mix of small and rural as well as metropolitan and large libraries, the libraries’ efforts offer a different philosophy in dealing with digital divide factors. This research investigates how libraries launched Digital Navigator programs, the processes behind developing them, and how they reflect notions of information access. This investigation analyzes the circumstances and controversies more broadly, which can shape digital information strategies in public libraries.

Abstract This article examines how information cooperation influences Kazakhstan’s foreign policy. Through systematic analysis and comparison methods, this article identifies key trends and differences in information cooperation among Central Asian countries. Strengthening regional contacts and Kazakhstan’s engagement in international organizations emerge as pivotal outcomes of this interaction. Diplomatic services, regional initiatives, media projects, and cybercrime counteraction play essential roles in creating a modern information landscape in Kazakhstan. This research provides a foundation for future studies on information cooperation in Central Asia and its broader international implications.

ABSTRACT We evaluate the impact of competition on investments in Europe’s mobile communications market during the 2011 to 2021 period. There are stark and sustained differences in market outcomes between three- and four-player markets in Europe, and economic theory suggests these could be partly explained by the dynamic effects of competition on the ability and incentives to invest by market players. We find strong evidence that market concentration in Europe is below optimal levels that would maximize investments, especially in four-player markets. The dispersion of fixed costs and assets among a greater number of players can result in diseconomies of scale and a less efficient use of resources. We also find evidence that investment incentives to improve quality and innovate are lower in markets with lower concentration indices and profit margins.

ABSTRACT This article explores the effects of different social determinants on having Internet access in Venezuela amid recent economic and political turmoil affecting living conditions and satisfaction with democracy. It argues that the so-called digital divide, a term depicting connectivity gaps, uses a simplistic dichotomy measuring percentages of who has and who hasn’t accessed the Internet. The article goes beyond such a restrictive metric and grasps whether, and to what extent, having Internet at home is affected by more revealing sociodemographic predictors, including gender, age, place of residency, income, or education. To illustrate my point, the article draws on data from the 2017 AmericasBarometer public opinion survey conducted in Venezuela. It models logistic regression to explore the straightforward but often understudied characteristics that might carry voting-age adults to have Internet service. Given Venezuela’s democracy crisis, the article also questions whether having Internet at home affected respondents being satisfied with how democracy worked in the country.

ABSTRACT The growing share of information technologies in the daily lives of citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan during the pandemic leads to the fact that various institutions use an increasingly wide range of information elements and mechanisms. The expectations of society are not only to improve the functioning of electronic administration, but also to ensure that all stored data is properly protected from unauthorized access, so that ensuring the security of information processing becomes one of the most important tasks of the State and the public. The purpose of the study is to consider aspects of the functioning of information security in the Republic of Kazakhstan during the pandemic and to identify the factors of reliable information security by state policy in order to distinguish hoaxes from real malicious actions. The methodological approach of the research is institutional, structural–functional, and systemic. Improper management of information security can lead to leakage, loss, or falsification of stored data, paralyzing completely relevant activities. Kazakhstan has made notable advancements in establishing a comprehensive legal framework for cybersecurity, positioning itself ahead of certain Central Asian neighbors. Government agencies develop, install, implement, operate, monitor, and analyze an information security management system, ensuring confidentiality, accessibility, and integrity of information. Information security requires the establishment of comprehensive procedures for all ongoing processes, taking into account the use of personal data. Information is an integral part of society, acting as a strategic resource for creating national security. Kazakhstan has been particularly active in forging collaborations and alliances to bolster their cybersecurity postures. The practical significance lies in the improvement of state measures aimed at protecting information, as well as preventing material, physical, moral, or other damage to the state and society as a result of information activities.

ABSTRACT This article discusses the chilling effect impact on immigrants’ freedom of speech resulting from recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surveillance processes utilizing the SmartLINK app and Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program. Further, this article brings privacy abuses of immigrants to U.S. lawmakers’ attention, as well as possible violations of Fourth Amendment rights related to personal networks that apply to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents alike. Finally, this manuscript provides legal recommendations that might be used as a panacea to solve the problem of ICE surveillance of immigrants.

ABSTRACT This qualitative research examines how Nigeria, Seychelles, and South Africa applied technologies to mediate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on their education systems. The research demonstrates that sociocultural and institutional factors, and attitudes of stakeholders, rather than technological access, significantly determined the countries’ capacity to transition tertiary institutions online at the height of the pandemic. It expands the understanding of the role of institutions and policies in the adoption of education technologies. The research findings are expected to inform the articulation of relevant policies and system-wide strategies for resilience and antifragility in case of future societal disruptions.

ABSTRACT This article compares funding and other broadband policies for rural and Indigenous regions in Canada and in the United States. It also includes examples of Indigenous engagement in the policy and regulatory processes in both countries. This research brings to light instances of policy diffusion between Canada and the United States, and demonstrates how Indigenous groups can contribute to more inclusive forms of telecommunications policy development. The article concludes with lessons from the Canadian and U.S. policy and regulatory experiences that could be relevant for broadband policy development in other countries with rural and Indigenous regions.