Draft:Digital public infrastructure

• Comment: Please remove the external links from the body of the article. C F A 💬 22:45, 6 August 2024 (UTC)

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Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is a movement in the way of offering digital government goods and services so that they are open (often open-source code and open protocol), interoperable (across platform providers), non-excludable, re-usable, and auditable. The DPI movement aims to recreate the decentralized access to information and agency that enabled the first wave of internet growth through open standards (e.g. TCP-IP, HTTP, HTML, SMTP, etc).

To achieve this goal, DPI projects have sometimes been built using Digital Public Goods (DPGs), which are open-source software packages maintained by communities of volunteers. Using DPGs is neither necessary nor sufficient for a government digital good or service to be labelled DPI.

Definitions

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) refers to digital government goods and services designed to be open (often utilizing open-source code and open protocols), interoperable across platform providers, non-excludable, re-usable, and auditable. DPI aims to recreate the decentralized access to information and services that enabled early internet growth, utilizing open standards such as TCP-IP, HTTP, HTML, and SMTP.

DPI projects are often built using Digital Public Goods (DPGs), open-source software packages maintained by communities of volunteers.[1] However, the use of DPGs is neither necessary nor sufficient for a government service to be classified as DPI. Definitions

Definitions of DPI vary among multilateral agencies,[2] development banks,[3] non-profit organizations,[4] and governments.[5] However, they typically share the goal of providing equal access to the digital economy while respecting national sovereignty and citizen rights and promoting interoperability among private and public actors online. Rather than a binary definition, digital ecosystems are often viewed as a gradient of DPI characteristics.

Some definitions, such as those by Co-Develop and the Gates Foundation, omit terms like "non-excludable" and "auditable." This variation in definitions reflects differing interpretations of how DPI should function in providing access to government services, with challenges around defining who qualifies for access and the regulatory requirements needed, such as financial licensing for API access.[6]

DPI is frequently compared to physical infrastructure like roads,[7] with proponents arguing that governments should build digital infrastructure that allows for seamless connectivity and exchange of value—such as money transfers—between different private platforms.[10]

History

Projects resembling DPI have been in existence since governments began digitizing public services over 30 years ago.[11] One notable early example is Estonia's X-Road project, a data-exchange layer based on immutable ledgers.[12]

Recent Developments

DPI has gained significant attention in recent years, particularly in the Global South. For low- and middle-income countries, DPI offers a potential pathway to achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals while maintaining national sovereignty over digital public services.[13]

Two events have highlighted DPI's importance: the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the digitization of government services,[14][15][16] and India's leadership in the 2023 G20 Summit. India's promotion of DPI at the G20 introduced the concept on a global stage through the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration, which defined DPI as "a set of shared digital systems that are secure and interoperable, built on open technologies, to deliver equitable access to public and/or private services at a societal scale."[17]

India’s DPI initiatives, including the Aadhaar digital ID system and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), are often cited as examples of successful DPI implementation.[18] Components of Digital Public Infrastructure

DPI is typically conceptualized as a technological "stack." At the foundation lies physical Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure. The DPI layer often includes foundational identification systems, Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) products, instant payments systems, and data exchange systems. These are considered essential for the equitable functioning of a digital economy.[19]

On top of this layer, private, non-profit, and public actors can build applications using the APIs provided by DPI implementers, often government entities. Oversight and transparency in the management of these systems remain topics of ongoing debate. Geopolitics of DPI

Countries adopting DPI frameworks do so against a backdrop of global geopolitical dynamics, including the U.S.-China technology competition and concerns over technology monopolization by large private firms.[20] DPI offers an alternative pathway for Global South countries, allowing them to avoid dependence on technology from either of these global powers.[24]

Controversies

DPI has faced criticisms related to power distribution and control, particularly around the potential for governments to monopolize digital infrastructure. Some scholars warn that governments could replicate the competitive and privacy issues seen in large private tech companies.[30]

Additionally, data localization laws—which require that data about a nation's citizens be collected, processed, and stored within the country—have become a point of contention within the DPI movement, raising questions about the efficiency and feasibility of such laws.[31][32]

Major Players

Several non-profit organizations and multilateral development agencies have been instrumental in advancing DPI. These include: