EmergingAsianTrendsinWSISoutcomes

HelaniGalpayaUNCSTDInter-SessionalPanel

Geneva6-8Nov2017

ThisworkwascarriedoutwiththeaidofagrantfromtheInternationalDevelopmentResearchCentre,CanadaandtheDepartmentforInternationalDevelopmentUK..

BASICACCESS&USE,INTHECONTEXTOFLOWSKILL

(Entry-level)Internetis“affordable”inmostcountries

3Source:ITU,2016

Costof500MBcappedpre-paidmobiledataas%ofGNI

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

UNBBCommissiontargetof5%

ManyS&SEAsiancountrieshadlessthan30%oftheirpopulationonline.Butnewerdataisessential

4Source:ITU,2016

%populationusingtheInternet

Ø OwnershipofasmartphoneiskeydriverofInternetuse.Ø Mostofthesecountrieshavearound30%smartphonepenetration

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

%

5

Sources:http://www.itu.int/net4/itu-d/icteye/AdvancedDataSearch.aspx; http://datatopics.worldbank.org/hnp/popestimates; Facebookadvertisingportal;

CountryMobileSubscriptions/100 InternetUsers/100 FacebookUsers/100

2016 2016 2017

Pakistan 71.4 15.51 15.8

Bangladesh 77.9 18.3 15.8

India 87.0 29.6 15.9

Myanmar 89.3 25.1 29.2

Philippines 109.2 55.5 59.7

Sri Lanka 118.5 32.1 25.0

Indonesia 149.1 25.37 44.4

Thailand 172.7 47.5 70.3

Socialmediaisthekillerappanddrivesuse(evenifweadmitthatmostInternet/socialmediausedataisproblematic)

NationallyrepresentativedatafromLatinAmericashowshugeprogressinInternetuseby2017.DatafromAsia(dueDec2017)hopefullyshowsthesame

Source:“TheNextBillion”,NationallyrepresentativesurveysconductedbyDIRSIinLatinAmericabetweenApril- July2017

InternetandSocialMediausebypopulationaged15yearsorabove,July2017

Question1:Haveyoueverusedtheinternetinyourmobilephone,computeroranyotherdevice?(explainandgiveexamples:Facebook,WhatsApp,mail,google,YouTube,Hotmail,etc.)Question2:DoyouusesocialmedialikeFacebook,WhatsApp,twitter,etc.?

75% 78%

61% 53%

71% 70%

87%

58% 52%

65%

Argentina Colombia Guatemala Paraguay Peru

Internetusers

Socialmediausers

Lackofskillis#1reasonforNOTusingtheInternet

7

ReasonsfornotusingtheInternet/socialmediabypopulation15yearsorabove,Argentina,Columbia,Guatemala,ParaguayPeru

21%

13%

17%

37%

12% Idon’tknowwhattheInternetis

Noaccessdevicecomputer/smartphone

Nointerest/notuseful

Idon’tknowhowtouseit

Other

Source:“TheNextBillion”,NationallyrepresentativesurveysconductedbyDIRSIinLatinAmericabetweenApril- July2017

TheexceptiontolowuseinAsiaisMyanmar.48%ofpopulationownasmartphone.Halfofallphoneownersareonline

8

Usedmobiledata(49%)

Notusedmobiledata(51%)

Base:MobilephoneownersBase:Mobilephoneowners

Smartphoneonly(76%)

Smartphoneandkeypadphone(2%)

Keypadphoneonly(22%)

UseofmobiledataforInternet(%ofmobileownersaged15-65)

Mobilehandsettype(%ofmobileownersaged15-65)

HighuseinMyanmarisinthecontextoflowdigitalskills.ManyinMyanmarmanagewithsomeone’shelp

Q:Canyoupleasetellme,whichofthefollowingactivitiesyouhaveeverdoneonyourmobileorontheInternet/online,andforeachone,whetheryouhavedoneitbyyourself,orwithsomeoneelse’shelp.

Base:Mobilehandsetowners

22 21 18 19 21

1125

21 257

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Searchforinformationorother

contentontheInternet/online

Installanapplication(‘app’)

Createlog-indetails(user)andapassword

Locateandadjustsettingsonan

applicationorservice

Postanyinformationononline

Digitalskills(%ofmobilehandsetownerswhocanperformthetasksbythemselvesorwithhelp)

Can,bymyself Can,withhelpfromsomeoneelse

Digitalliteracyisevenloweramongstwomen(comparedtomen)

24 1925

16 20 1524

1323 18

1011

2327 20

23

22

28 67

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

Searchforinformation/content

online

Installanapp Setupanaccount(e.g.Facebook/Viber,

etc)

Locateandadjustapp/accountsettings

Postinformationonline

Digitalskills(%ofmobilehandsetownerswhocanperformthetasksbythemselvesorwiththehelpofothers)

Canbymyself Can,withhelpfromsomeoneelse

Q:Canyoupleasetellme,whichofthefollowingactivitiesyouhaveeverdoneonyourmobileorontheInternet/online,andforeachone,whetheryouhavedoneitbyyourself,orwithsomeoneelse’shelp.

Base:Mobilehandsetowners

Beingonlineinthecontextoflowskillsisproblematic:hackingisexperienced;self-regulationisseenasasolution• Interviewswith93InternetusersinMyanmarinterviewed(Aug- Sep

2017).• Socialmediaaccounts(e.g.Facebook)openedbymobilephoneshop

owner/worker– Passwordknowntoshopowner– Userattimenotknowingthereisapasswordforsomeapps

• Frequenthackingofpasswords,paymentsmadetohackertorecoverpassword– “Therefore,Itriedtotalkwiththehackerthroughchatting.ItlooksasifI

amtalkingtomyself.Iaskedhimtostopbutheaskedmetopay5000billforhisphoneandwhenIdidthat,Igotmyaccountbackagain”.[Malerespondent,Yangon]

– Onlinesurvey:12%of302Internetusershadbeenhacked;only4%hadexperiencedafinancialscamonline

• Significant“self-regulation”speciallybywomenoncontenttheypostonlineduetofearofhacking,shaming,reputationaldamage– “IhaveheardthatitiseasiertomakeaPhotoshopoutofthefullbody

images.That’swhyIalsouploadpicturesthatdon’trevealmyfullbody”.[Femalerespondent,Yangon]

Justicesystemsdon’thelp:notaccessibletoall,unable/unwillingtohelpordoesn’tknowhowtohelp• Justicethroughthepolicelimitedtothosewithconnections,

power,resources– “..Theypostedthatphotoshoppedpictureofmineonadifferent

page…Itriedtoreportittothepolice…buttheirparentsweregovernmentworkerswhohaveanauthority.Thus,thepolicemenstoodupforthemandencouragedmetojustforgivethem.WhatelseIcoulddo?Idecidedtoletitgo.”[Femalerespondent,Yangon]

– “Theyhaven’tpostedityet…theyjustthreatenedme..IhavelawyerfriendsthereforeIdon’tneedtoworryaboutanything.Atlasttheyapologizedme.Policeaskedmetoleaveitasitis…butInevergaveup.Igavemoneytothepolice.AtlastIwon.”[Malerespondent,LGBTQ,Yangon,]

– “Iwouldn’twantto[reportit]becauseI’mscaredofgoingtojail.Andpeoplewouldlookatmeandknowaboutme...Iwouldn’tlikegoingtothecourteitherandIwouldn’twanttomeetwithpoliceandthejudge.Iwouldfeelsuffocatedtomeetthem.” [Malerespondent,LGBTQ,Yangon]

It’snotallaboutlackofskill.Policiesthatregulateonlinebehaviorareproblematictoo

• E.g.Section66doftheTelecomLaw:acriminallawprovisionthatpermitspenaltiesofuptothreeyearsinprisonfor“extorting,coercing,restrainingwrongfully,defaming,disturbing,causingundueinfluenceorthreateninganypersonusingatelecommunicationsnetwork.”– Over50peoplejailedasatmid2017underthisprovision– Thirdpartycomplaintspermitted– Duplicativeofother(existing)lawsthatcandealwithsimilar

offenses• “Idon’tusuallysharepostsonmywall.Itisalsobecauseofthelawlike

66D.IamafraidthatImightgetintotroublebysharingsomecontent.SinceIdocharitywork,Ineedtobecareful.ThemostIwoulddoistojokearoundwithmyfriendsbycommentingaboutpoliticsusingthesecretnameswegave.”[Socialmediainfluencer,Yangon]

• NotjustMyanmar– India’sSection66AofITActprovidedpunishmentforoffensivemessages,insultsetc.– StruckdownbytheSupremeCourtasbeingunconstitutional

Morebroadly,manypoliciesrelatedtoonlinelifearenon-existentorbadlyformulated.InternetGovernanceneedstobeapriorityforemergingAsiancountries• Telecomsectorde-regulationsuccessful– marketforces

connectedmany– Drivenbytechnicalassistancebymulti-lateralbanks

• InternetGovernanceissuesrarelyaddressedintheliberalizationprocess– Butnowtheyneedtobeaddressed.Urgently

• No“focalpoint”ingovernmenttotakethelead– UnliketheMinistryofTelecom/ICT/DigitalEconomywhich

hastraditionallyaddressedICTinfrastructureissues• Lackofmulti—stakeholdermechanisms

– EvenwhennationallevelIGFsexists,IGpolicyoftenmadeelsewhere

• Resultinginadoptiondeveloped-countrysolutions/policiesevenwhentheyareclearlyunsuitable.

MANYAREONLINEANDEARNINGMONEY

EmergingAsiancountriesaremajorsuppliersoflaborondigitalplatformsthatenablethemtodeliverworkremotely

OnlineLabour Indextopoccupationbycountry,1-6July2017

Source:Kässi,O.&Lehdonvirta,V.(2016)OnlineLabour Index:MeasuringtheOnlineGigEconomyforPolicyandResearch.PaperpresentedatInternet,Politics&Policy2016,22-23September,Oxford,UK.http://ilabour.oii.ox.ac.uk/online-labour-index/

Typeofwork Examplesoftypeofwork

Averageearningspermonth

Earningperjob Platformsused

Professionalservices

ProjectmanagementAccountingSocialmediaconsultant

USD15- 230 - FacebookFrapp

Clericaland dataentry

TranslationTranscriptionFormattingdocumentsAudiotranscription

USD15- 90 USD0.1- 0.77perwordUSD6per1houraudio

Translatorscafé,Guru,Fiverr,Upwork,Freelancer

Creativeandmultimedia

PhotographyVideoproductionVideoediting

USD107-184 USD8- 77perlogo Behance99design

Salesandmarketingsupport

SEOAdpostingEvent promotion

USD77- 230 - FrappFacebook groupsWhatsApp

Softwaredevelopmentandtechnology

MobiledevelopmentSoftware developmentWebdevelopmentAppdevelopment

USD77- 230 USD46- 122perwebsite

UpworkFreelancerFiverr

Writing andtranslation

CopywritingCreative writingTechnicalwritingTranslation

USD15- 90 USD0.03perword Guru,Fiverr,Upwork,FreelancerØ Source:Focusgroupsandin-depthinterviewswith301currentandpotential

onlinemicro-workersandonlinefreelancersinIndia,May– Aug2017.

SriLanka:17,000– 22,000peopleengagedinonlinefreelancing/microwork.Sellingtheirskillsonplatforms• NationalSurvey(in2016)andcalculationsshow17,000– 22,000

peopleinSriLankadoonlinefreelancing• Manyworkparttime(e.g.2-3hoursperweek)tosupplement

income• Mosthave3– 6monthsofeducation(diplomasincomputer

science)aftercompletinghighschool– Computerliteracyandinternetconnectionsasbasicneeds

• Averageincomeperpersonnationally:AroundUSD80permonth(Dept.ofCensusandStatistics)

• Averageearningsfromonlinefree-lancingUSD140permonth• Mostnotwillingtodofull-time

– Inabilitytoproveincomewhenaskingforaloan– “Ineedtointoanoffice”– “Ican’texplainwhat[I]dotomyparents”

Arangeofworkisseen,withhugelyvaryingincomeandskill.Butonlyafewreachthehighends

Project-based,highskill,higherearning• E.g.Software/website

dev• Directrelationshipwith

client(off-platform)• Abilitytonegotiate

price• UptoUSD300per

project;UptoUSD1000permonth

• “Rightplacetouseourskills”

• Noissuesgettingpaid

Micro-tasks:lowskill,lowearning• Ad-clicking(E.g.

ClicxSense,Gigabucks),imagetagging

• Lowearning(USD$0.1perjob)

• Buyerspecifiesprice(workerispricetaker)

• Lowskillneeded• Nopaymentifbuyernot

satisfied

Taskbased,buthigherearningandhigherskill• Logodesign;content

writing,reviewwriting• AvgUS%5-10perjob• AvgUS$8– 15per

month(work2-5hours)• Ratingsonplatform

important• Potentialtodevelop

repeatrelationshipw/buyer

Lowearning,lowskill

Higherearning,higherskill

Can’tgetcheaper

Facingcompetitionfromevencheaperlabormarkets

Sometasksfacingcompetitionfromcheaperlabor.Othersnot

Needforconstantre-skilling:learninghowtolearn

• Price-basedcompetitiveadvantageoflabor-erodesquickly

• Manyjobsthatwererule-basedbeingautomated– E.g.softwaretesting.Result:IndianITfirmslayingoffinlargenumbers

• Solutions:– A)developnichecompetencies(providingslightlylongertermabilitytocaptureashareofthelabormarket).

– B)constantlyre-skillandstayaheadofskillsthatarebeingcommoditized

THANKYOU.SHOWNSURVEYDATAAVAILABLEAFTERDECEMBER2017AT:

- www.lirneasia.net andhelani[at]lirneasia.net (forAsiasurveydata)

- www.researchictafrica.net (forAfricasurveydata)- www.dirsi.net (forLatinAmericasurveydata)