What everyday citizens can do to claim power on the internet | Fadi Chehadé and Bryn Freedman

Translator: Doris Mangalu Reviewer: Nelson Simfukwe

Bryn Freedman: So you said that in the 20th century,

Bryn Freedman: Kwahiyo umesema kua karne ya ishirini,

global power was in the hands of government.

nguvu ya ulimwengu ilikua mikononi mwa serikali.

At the beginning of this digital century,

Mwanzoni mwa karne hii ya dijitali,

it really moved to corporations

ilihamia kweli kwenye mashirika

and that in the future, it would move to individuals.

na kua huko mbeleni, ingehamia kwa watu binafsi.

And I've interviewed a lot of people,

Na nimeshahoji watu wengi,

and they say you're wrong,

na wanasema haupo sahihi,

and they are betting on the companies.

na wanaweka dau kwenye makampuni.

So why are you right,

Hivyo kwanini upo sahihi,

and why are individuals going to win out?

na kwanini watu binafsi wataenda kushinda?

Fadi Chehadé: Because companies cater to individuals,

Fadi Chehade: Kwa sababu makampuni yanahudumia watu,

and we as the citizenry

na sisi kama raia

need to start understanding that we have a big role

tunahitaji kuanza kuelewa kua tuna jukumu kubwa

kwenye kuunda jinsi dunia itakavyotawaliwa kusonga mbele.

in shaping how the world will be governed, moving forward.

Yes, indeed, the tug of war right now is between governments,

Kweli kabisa, mvutano wa sasa ni kati ya serikali,

who lost much of their power to companies

zilizopoteza nguvu zao nyingi kwa makampuni

because the internet is not built around the nation-state system

kwa sababu intaneti haijajengwa karibu na mfumo wa taifa la taifa

around which governments have power.

kote ambayo serikali zina nguvu.

The internet is transnational.

Intaneti ni ya mataifa.

It's not international, and it's not national,

Sio ya kimataifa, na sio ya kitaifa,

and therefore the companies became very powerful.

na kwa sababu hiyo makampuni yamekua na nguvu sana.

They shape our economy.

Yana unda uchumi wetu.

They shape our society.

Yana unda jamii yetu.

Governments don't know what to do.

Serikali hazijui cha kufanya.

Right now, they're reacting.

Sasa hivi, zinaitikia.

And I fear that if we do not, as the citizenry --

Na nina hofu kua tukishindwa, kama raia --

which are, in my opinion, the most important leg of that stool --

ambao ni, kwa maoni yangu,mguu wa muhimu zaidi kwenye kigoda hicho --

don't take our role,

usichukue jukumu letu

then you are right.

halafu ndo utapatia.

The detractors, or the people telling you that businesses will prevail, are right.

Wapinzani, au watu wanaokuambia kua biashara itafanikiwa, wamepatia.

It will happen.

Itatokea.

BF: So are you saying that individuals will force businesses

BF: Kwahio unasema kua watu watalazimisha biashara

or business will be forced to be responsive,

au biashara italazimika kua na majibu,

or is there a fear that they won't be?

au kuna uwoga kua hawataweza?

FC: I think they will be.

FC: Nadhani wataweza.

Look at two weeks ago,

Angalia wiki mbili zilizopita,

a small company called Skip winning over Uber and Lyft and everyone

kampuni ndogo iitwayo Skip iliyoshinda Uber na Lyft na kila mtu

to actually get the license for the San Francisco scooter business.

ili ki halisi kupata leseni kwa biashara ya pikipiki San Francisco.

And if you read why did Skip win,

Na kama ukisoma kwanini Skip ilishinda,

because Skip listened to the people of San Francisco,

kwa sababu Skip ilisikiliza watu wa San Francisco,

who were tired of scooters being thrown everywhere,

waliokua wamechoka pikipiki kua kila mahali,

and actually went to the city and said,

na kweli kwenda mjini na kusema,

"We will deploy the service,

"Tutapeleka hio huduma,

lakini tutajibu mahitaji ya watu

but we will respond to the people's requirements

that we organize ourselves around a set of rules."

kua tutaandaa wenyewe kuzungukia aina za kanuni."

They self-governed their behavior, and they won the contract

Wamejitawala tabia zao, na wakashinda mkataba

over some very powerful companies.

dhidi ya makampuni yenye nguvu.

BF: So speaking of guidelines and self-governance,

BF: Hivyo kuongelea kuhusu miongozo na kujitawala,

you've spent an entire lifetime creating guidelines and norms

umetumia maisha yako yote kutengeneza miongozo na kanuni

kwa ajili ya intaneti.

for the internet.

Unafikiri hizo siku zimeisha?

Do you think those days are over?

Who is going to guide, who is going to control,

Nani ataongoza, nani atatawala,

and who is going to create those norms?

na nani atatengeneza hizo kanuni?

FC: The rules that govern the technology layers of the internet

FC: Kanuni zitakazotawala vipande vya teknolojia vya intaneti

are now well put in place,

sasa zimewekwa sehemu nzuri,

and I was very busy for a few years setting those rules

na nilikua nikishughulika miaka kadhaa kupanga hizo kanuni

around the part of the internet that makes the internet one network.

kuzunguka sehemu za intaneti zinazofanya intaneti kua mtandao mmoja.

The domain-name system, the IP numbers,

Mfumo wa jina la kikoa, number za IP,

zote hizo ziko katika nafasi.

all of that is in place.

However, as we get now into the upper layers of the internet,

Hata hivyo, tunavyoenda sasa kwenye vipande vya juu vya intaneti,

mambo yanayotuathiri mimi na wewe kila siku --

the issues that affect me and you every day --

privacy, security, etc. --

faragha, usalama, nk. --

the system to create norms for those unfortunately is not in place.

mfumo wa kujenga kanuni kwa hizo bahati mbaya haziko kwenye nafasi.

Hivyo tunatatizo.

So we do have an issue.

We have a system of cooperation and governance

Tuna mfumo wa ushirikiano na utawala

that really needs to be created right now

unaohitaji kujengwa kweli sasa hivi

so that companies, governments and the citizenry can agree

ili makampuni, serikali na raia wanaweza kukubaliana

jinsi hii dunia ya kidijitali inavyokua inaendelea.

how this new digital world is going to advance.

BF: So what gives a digital company any incentive?

BF: Hivyo nini kinachoipa kampuni ya dijitali motisha yoyote?

Let's say -- Facebook comes to mind --

Tuseme -- Facebook inaingia akilini --

they would say they have their users' best interests at heart,

watasema wanahisia bora kwa watumiaji wao kwenye moyo,

but I think a lot of people would disagree with that.

lakini nafikiri watu wengi hawakubaliani na hilo.

FC: It's been very difficult to watch how tech companies have reacted

FC: Ilikua ngumu sana kuangalia jinsi kampuni za teknolojia zilivyoitikia

to the citizenry's response to their technologies.

kwa majibu ya raia kuhusu teknolojia zao.

And some of them, two or three years ago, basically dismissed it.

Na wengine wao, miaka miwili au mitatu iliopita, kimsingi waliipotezea.

The word that I heard in many board rooms is, "We're just a technology platform.

Neno nililosikia kwenye vyumba vya bodi vingi ni, "Sisi ni jukwaaa la teknolojia tu.

It's not my issue if my technology platform

Sio suala langu kama jukwaa langu la teknolojia

causes families to go kill their girls in Pakistan.

linasababisha familia kuua mabinti zao Pakistan.

It's not my issue. It's their problem.

Sio suala langu. Ni tatizo lao.

I just have a technology platform."

Nina jukwaa la teknolojia tu."

Now, I think we are now entering a stage

Sasa, nafikiri tunaanza kuingia hatua

where companies are starting to realize this is no longer sustainable,

ambapo makampuni yameanza kutambua hii sio tena endelevu,

and they're starting to see the pushback

na yameanza kuona pingamizi

that's coming from people, users, citizens,

hio inatoka kwa watu, watumiaji, wananchi,

but also governments that are starting to say,

lakini pia serikali zinazoanza kusema,

"This cannot be."

"Hii haiwezekani."

Hivyo nafikiri kuna ukomavu unaoanza kukaa,

So I think there is a maturity that is starting to set,

especially in that Silicon Valley area,

hasa kwenye hilo eneo la Silicon Valley,

where people are beginning to say, "We have a role."

ambapo watu wameanza kusema, "Tunajukumu."

So when I speak to these leaders, I say,

Hivyo ninapoongea na hawa viongozi, nasema,

"Look, you could be the CEO, a very successful CEO of a company,

"Ona, unaweza kua mkurugenzi mtendaji, mwenye mafanikio sana kwenye kampuni,

but you could also be a steward."

lakini unaweza pia kua karani."

And that's the key word.

Na hilo ni neno la msingi.

"You could be a steward of the power you have

"Unaweza kua karani wa mamlaka uliyonayo

to shape the lives and the economies of billions of people.

kuunda maisha na uchumi wa mabilioni ya watu.

Which one do you want to be?"

Ni ipi unataka kua?"

And the answer is, it's not one or the other.

Na jibu ni, sio moja wala lingine.

This is what we are missing right now.

Hiki ndicho tunachokosa sasa hivi.

Hivyo pale mtu mzima kama Brad Smith, raisi wa Microsoft,

So when an adult like Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft,

said a few months ago,

alivyosema miezi iliopita,

"We need a new set of Geneva Conventions

"Tunahitaji seti mpya za Mapatano ya Geneva

to manage the security of the digital space,"

kusimamia ulinzi wa eneo la dijitali,"

many of the senior leaders in Silicon Valley

viongozi wengi wakubwa wa Silicon Valley

actually spoke against his words.

kweli waliongea kupinga maneno yake.

"What do you mean, Geneva Convention?

"Unamaanisha nini, Mapatano ya Geneva?

We don't need any Geneva Conventions. We self-regulate."

Hatuhitaji mapatano yoyote ya Geneva. Tunajipatanisha wenyewe."

But that mood is changing,

Lakini hisia inabadilika,

and I'm starting to see many leaders say,

na nimeanza kuona viongozi wengi wakisema,

"Help us out."

"Tusaidie."

But here lies the conundrum.

Lakini hapa kumekua na fumbo.

Who is going to help those leaders do the right thing?

Nani ataenda kuwasaidia hao viongozi kufanya jambo sahihi?

BF: So who is going to help them?

BF: Hivyo nani ataenda kuwasaidia?

Because I'd love to interview you for an hour,

Kwa sababu ningependa kukuhoji kwa lisaa,

but give me your biggest fear and your best hope

lakini niambie hofu yako kubwa na tumaini lako kubwa

for how this is going to work out.

kwa jinsi hii itakavyoenda kufanikiwa.

FC: My biggest hope is that we will become each stewards

FC: Tumaini langu kubwa ni kua tutakua wote makarani

of this new digital world.

wa hii dunia mpya ya dijitali

That's my biggest hope,

Hilo ndo tumaini langu kubwa,

because I do think, often, we want to put the blame on others.

kwa sababu nafikiri, mara nyingi, tunataka kulaumu wengine.

"Oh, it's these CEOs. They're behaving this way."

"Oh, ni hawa wakurugenzi. Wanatabia hizi."

"Hizi serikali hazifanyi ya kutosha."

"These governments are not doing enough."

Lakni vipi kuhusu sisi?

But how about us?

How is each of us actually taking the responsibility to be a steward

Namna gani kila mmoja wetu kiukweli kuchukua wajibu wa kua karani

wa eneo la dijitali tunaloishi?

of the digital space we live in?

And one of the things I've been pushing on university presidents

Na moja ya vitu nilivyokua nikisukuma kwa maraisi wa chuo

is we need every engineering and science and computer science student

ni tunahitaji kila mwanafunzi wa uhandisi na sayansi na sayansi ya kompyuta

who is about to write the next line of code

anaekaribia kuandika mstari unaofata wa kanuni

or design the next IoT device

au kubuni kifaa kijacho cha IoT

to actually have in them a sense of responsibility and stewardship

ili kweli kuwe ndani yao na hali ya uwajibikaji na ukarani

towards what they're building.

kuelekea hicho wanachojenga.

So I suggested we create a new oath,

Hivyo nikadokeza tujenge kiapo kipya,

like the Hippocratic Oath,

kama kiapo cha Hippocrates,

so that every student entering an engineering program

ili kila mwanafunzi anaeingia programu ya uhandisi

takes a technocratic oath or a wisdom oath

anachukua kiapo cha teknokratiki au kiapo cha hekima

or some oath of commitment to the rest of us.

au kiapo cha ahadi kwa sisi wengine.

That's my best hope, that we all rise.

Hilo ndilo tumaini langu kubwa, kua tutainuka.

Because governments and businesses will fight over this power game,

Kwa sababu serikali na mabiashara yatapigania nguvu juu ya huu mchezo wa madaraka,

but where are we?

lakini tuko wapi?

And unless we play into that power table,

Na mpaka tucheze kwenye hio meza ya madaraka,

I think we'll end up in a bad place.

ninafikiri tutaishia kwenye sehemu mbaya.

My biggest fear?

Hofu yangu kubwa?

My biggest fear, to be very tactical today,

Hofu yangu kubwa, kuwa mbunifu sana leo,

what is keeping me up at night

nini kinachoniweka macho usiku

is the current war between the West, the liberal world,

ni vita inayoendelea kati ya Magharibi, dunia huria,

and China,

na China,

in the area of artificial intelligence.

kwenye eneo la ufahamu bandia.

Kuna vita vya ukweli vinaendelea,

There is a real war going on,

and for those of us who have lived through the nuclear nonproliferation age

na kwa wale wenzangu walioishi kupita kipindi cha kutokuenea kwa nyuklia

and saw how people agreed

na kuona jinsi watu walivyokubaliana

to take some very dangerous things off the table,

kuchukua vitu vya hatari sana visiweze kujadiliwa,

well, the Carnegie Endowment just finished a study.

basi, Taasisi ya Carnegie imemaliza tu tafiti.

They talked to every country that made nuclear weapons

Wameongea na kila nchi iliyotengeneza silaha za nyuklia

and asked them,

na wakawauliza,

"Ni 'silaha' gani ya kidijitali ungeweza kutoa kwenye mjadala

"Which digital 'weapon' would you take off the table

against somebody else's schools or hospitals?"

dhidi ya shule na hospitali za mtu mwingine?"

And the answer --

Na jibu --

kutoka kwenye kila nguvu ya nyuklia -- mpaka kwenye hili swali ilikua,

from every nuclear power -- to this question was,

nothing.

hakuna kitu.

That's what I'm worried about ...

Hicho ndicho nina wasiwasi nacho ...

Ule usilaha wa nafasi ya dijitali,

The weaponization of the digital space,

na mbio ya kufika huko.

and the race to get there.

BF: Well, it sounds like you've got a lot of work to do,

BF: Basi, inaonekana una kazi nyingi ya kufanya,

and so do the rest of us.

na hata sisi wengine.

Fadi, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

Faidi, asante sana. nimethamini kweli.

FC: Thank you.

FC: Asante.

(Applause)

(Makofi)