Reclaiming the Internet: Toward a Post-Naive, Pluriversal Web

By Elsie Ralston

From the narrative of inevitability to the collective construction of human infrastructure.

For two decades, we carried a shining promise about the internet: the fantasy that connecting the world would make us more equal, more visible, more human. It was a time when openness was enough to ensure justice, and interoperability seemed synonymous with freedom.

But that naive internet—the one where access was seen as redemption—no longer exists. Today we inhabit platforms that act like states, algorithms that shape culture, and a new technological faith that speaks in absolutes: artificial intelligence as destiny, automation as progress, speed as a synonym for value.

But that naivety has been shattered, and that is not a loss—it is an opportunity from and for the South.

The Rhetoric of the Inevitable

Artificial intelligence has given rise to messianic rhetoric. “There is no alternative.” “Adapt or perish.” “The future is already set in stone.” We are led to believe that all necessary technology is inevitable and even that criticism is a sign of backwardness, not of responsibility.

But as researchers and movements have pointed out, are working to decolonize digital knowledge, there is no such thing as the inevitable: there is only power. And whoever controls the narrative has been controlling the future.

Technology neutrality It seems to have emerged as part of a marketing strategy, and the question is no longer whether we will have AI, but rather who designs it, what values it embodies, for whose benefit, and under what forms of governance. If the internet shaped our institutions, AI is now shaping our political imagination. And the imagination, too, can be colonized.

From Breakup to Agency

We are not facing the end of anything, but rather a conscious beginning. On the fringes of corporate noise, a constellation of practices is emerging that point toward a post-naive era of the internet:

• Cooperative and Community Platforms

• Self-managed servers run by neighborhoods, hacklabs, and public universities

• Indigenous Radio Stations That Digitize Memory and Territory

• Feminist Networks for Digital Self-Care

• Community Data Banks and Information Sovereignty Projects

The internet isn’t dying: it’s returning to its roots, but with a sense of history. And access is no longer enough: from the Global South, we want—and are actively securing—autonomy, language, a sense of belonging, and real decision-making power.

The Numbers That Matter

Global connectivity is growing, but inequality persists. By early 2025, it is estimated that approximately 5.56 billion people use the Internet, about 68% of the world's population. That means that about 2.63 billion people are still left out.

People Online vs. Offline (~2025) - Source: DataReportal 2025; ITU Global Connectivity Report 2024–25

Connected ~5.56B (≈68%)

████████████████████████░░░░░░░░ 68%

Not connected ~2.63B (≈32%)

██████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 32%

Connectivity is not uniform. Sub-Saharan Africa has an access rate of about 36%; South Asia, about 52%. Latin America and the Caribbean have an access rate of about 78%, while Europe and North America exceed 90%.

Penetration by Region (~2025) - Source: ITU; Oxford Internet Institute — Geonet Project

Sub-Saharan Africa (≈36%) ███████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 36%

South Asia (≈52%) █████████████████░░░░░░░░░ 52%

Latin America and the Caribbean (≈78%) █████████████████████████░ 78%

Europe (≈90%) ██████████████████████████ 90%

North America (≈92%) ███████████████████████████ 92%

And within countries, the urban-rural divides remain pronounced.

Urban-rural gap (global average) - Source: ITU 2024

Urban (≈80–90%)   ██████████████████████████

Rural (≈40–60%)   ████████████████░░░░░░░░░░

It's not enough to simply connect: we must redistribute power, infrastructure, and a voice.

The Global South isn't late—it's just different

While major powers compete over chips, cloud computing, and massive models, another vision of the digital future is emerging in the Global South: one that is more human, more grounded, and more caring. These are spaces where technology does not follow the extractive logic of the market but rather the regenerative logic of community.

The question here isn't "How can we do this faster?" but rather: How can we make it fairer, more our own, more alive?

Meaningful innovation isn't limited to data centers: it can be found in public libraries that digitize community archives; in groups of women in technology; in community Wi-Fi networks; in indigenous data projects; and in movements to curb the excessive power of Big Tech.

While some are building artificial intelligence, others are building community intelligence.

Reimagining the bond that unites us

Claiming the internet is not nostalgia; it is cultural sovereignty. It is recognizing that infrastructure is political and that the internet can be reimagined based on other values: reciprocity, care, plurality, and autonomy.

The digital future is not set in stone; it is being shaped right now. And it will not be dictated solely by corporations or governments. It will be built by people who see technology as a space, as a tool for connection, and as a living memory.

We don't just want access. We want to belong.

We don't want to be users. We want to be authors.

We don't want connectivity without a purpose. We want a community with agency.

The Internet doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be ours. Nor does it need to be bigger or faster. It needs to be more equitable, accessible, local, and pluriversal.

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