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Cited by 9ICT Impact and PoliciesMedia Influence and PoliticsCybersecurity and Cyber Warfare Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 105 of the 109 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

The political power of internet business: A comprehensive dataset of Telecommunications Ownership and Control (TOSCO)

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Freyburg, Tina, Garbe, Lisa, Wavre, Véronique·2023·The Review of International Organizations
DOI 10.1007/s11558-022-09483-z
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Abstract

The ‘internet’—familiar shorthand for information and communication technologies (ICT)—is built on a physical infrastructure owned by a variety of state and private actors, foreign and domestic, with multiple interests. It has not only driven change on a global scale; its spread also had a profound impact on the social sciences. However, our understanding of how its architecture, and especially its owners, influence its political and economic impact is still in its infancy. This paper presents the Telecommunications Ownership and Control (TOSCO) dataset on ownership of internet service providers (ISPs) that allows to recognize the internet as strategically built and used by governments and corporations. Along with a thorough discussion of the conceptualization and operationalization of ownership as a variable, the TOSCO dataset enables comparative large-N analysis of the determinants and effects of varying ownership structures and identities in the transforming context of 49 African countries, 2000–2019. We demonstrate its usefulness with descriptive statistics and regression analyses using replication data from research on the internet’s democratizing and corruption-reducing effects. In allowing for a more realistic account, TOSCO supports scholars and practitioners concerned with the determinants and effects of internet service provision, use and control in Africa and beyond.

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Göhler, G. (2009). Power to and power over (pp. 27–39). Sage.
  2. Lambsdorff, J. G., & Cornelius, P. (2000). Corruption, foreign investment and growth. K. Schwab, J. Sachs, et al., The Africa Competitiveness Report 2000/2001 (pp. 70–78). Oxford University Press.
  3. Rydzak, J., Karanja, M., & Opiyo, N. (2020). Dissent does not die in darkness: Network shutdowns and collective action in African countries. International Journal of Communication, 14, 4265–4286.
  4. Telecom Review (2021). A study on Kenya’s mobile market. Telecom Review Africa. https://www.telecomreviewafrica.com/en/articles/features/2268-a-study-on-kenya-s-mobile-market. Accessed 28 May 2022
  5. Van Dam, C., Gregor, F., Brachotte, S., & Morrow, P. (2017). Corporate responsibility to respect human rights vis-à-vis legal duty of care. A. Rubio, J. José, & K. Yiannibas (Eds.) Human Rights in Business. Removal of Barriers to Access to Justice in the European Union (pp. 119–138). Routledge.

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Metadata

Authors
Freyburg, T., Garbe, L., & Wavre, V.
Affiliations
  • University of St.Gallen (CH)
  • WZB Berlin Social Science Center (DE)
Corresponding author
Freyburg, Tina
ORCID
Venue
The Review of International Organizations
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2022-12-07
Volume
18
Issue
3
Pages
573-600
ISSN
  • 1559-7431 (ISSN-L)
  • 1559-744X
DOI
10.1007/s11558-022-09483-z
OpenAlex
W4311707459
Cited by
9
References
109
Citations by year
2025: 6 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1
FWCI
0.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • The Review of International Organizations (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Alexandria (UniSG) (University of St.Gallen) (submittedVersion)
  • Econstor (Econstor) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Social Science Open Access Repository (GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Swiss Network for International Studies
  • University of St.Gallen (CH), Basic Research Funds
  • University of St.Gallen
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › ICT Impact and Policies
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Media Influence and Politics
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Cybersecurity and Cyber Warfare Studies
Keywords
internet service providers, ownership structure, internet infrastructure, corruption, Africa, information and communication technologies

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