Data sovereignty
The indispensable demand for African + indigenous control over the collection, storage, and use of cultural data — including physical server location.
The indispensable demand for African and indigenous control over the collection, storage, and use of cultural data. Requires the physical, on-continent storage of data (server location), implementation of the CARE principles for indigenous data governance (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics), and recognition of community right of refusal.
The IEEE 2890-2025 standard (passed 2025) is the first cross-industry technical standard codifying indigenous data sovereignty — establishing tamper-proof provenance for indigenous data.
African Archive discloses its server location, who controls master files, who can request release, and the conditions of any community-led takedown — see the methodology page.