Digital Degrowth

A new framework for the digital society that merges the science of degrowth with a global analysis of the high-tech economy

“A must-read for anyone who wants to know the brutal truth of digital colonialism driven by the American empire” Kohei Saito, author of Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto

“A vital book for anyone concerned about justice and equality, and about the extraction of the Earth’s resources to support the technologies of limitless greed and growth” Vandana Shiva, environmental activist

The world is racing toward an irreversible ecological catastrophe. Environmental science makes clear that humans must reduce total material resource use, requiring a radical redistribution of wealth within and between countries. Yet little attention has been paid to how the digital economy fits into this equation.

Michael Kwet, a leading expert on digital colonialism, presents a new paradigm for the digital society. Merging the science of degrowth with a global analysis of the high-tech economy, he argues that digital capitalism and colonialism must be abolished quickly. In Digital Degrowth, Kwet maps out a path to a people’s tech future. He calls for direct action against Silicon Valley, US imperialism and power elites everywhere in order to realize a radically egalitarian digital society that fosters equality in harmony with nature.

Michael Kwet is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Johannesburg and a Visiting Fellow at Yale Law School. He hosts the Tech Empire podcast, has been published at Al Jazeera, The New York Times, The Intercept, and Mail & Guardian, and is founder of PeoplesTech.org.

'A fascinating book that takes degrowth in new directions' - Jason Hickel, author of Less is More

'A must-read for anyone who wants to know the brutal truth of digital colonialism driven by the American empire' - Kohei Saito, author of Slow Down

The world is racing toward an irreversible ecological catastrophe. Environmental science makes clear that humans must reduce total material resource use, requiring a radical redistribution of wealth within and between countries. Yet little attention has been paid to how the digital economy fits into this equation.

Michael Kwet, a leading expert on digital colonialism, presents a new paradigm for the digital society. Merging the science of degrowth with a global analysis of the high-tech economy, he argues that digital capitalism and colonialism must be abolished quickly. In Digital Degrowth, Kwet maps out a path to a people’s tech future. He calls for direct action against Silicon Valley, US imperialism and power elites everywhere in order to realize a radically egalitarian digital society that fosters equality in harmony with nature.