CORPORATE GIANT’S “DIGITAL HANDOUT”: GENUINE AID OR A SHAMELESS DATA MINING PLOY?
In a MOVE that has experts questioning the true motive behind corporate “philanthropy,” telecoms behemoth MTN has flooded under-resourced schools with digital devices. But is this a charitable act, or a CALCULATED STRATEGY to hook the nation’s poorest children onto their ecosystem and harvest valuable data under the guise of “hope”?
Sources close to the initiative reveal this “donation” is PARTNERSHIP with government departments, raising alarming questions about the cozy relationship between big tech and the state. Critics are FURIOUS, labeling it a Trojan Horse that absolves the government of its duty to provide proper infrastructure while allowing a corporation to brand itself as a savior. “Every device we deliver is more than hardware – it’s hope,” stated an MTN executive—a statement now being called out as a MASTERCLASS in manipulative PR, masking a relentless pursuit of future market share.
This so-called “investment in education” comes as the nation’s REAL digital divide—lack of electricity, connectivity, and teacher training—remains GLARINGLY unaddressed. Is MTN setting up these children for FAILURE by providing tools without solving the fundamental crises that plague their schools? The company boldly claims its goal is to “lay the foundation for a future where no young person is left behind,” yet this flashy tech dump may only cement the existing inequalities it purports to solve.
This is not charity; it is a CORPORATE COLONIZATION of the classroom, trading tangible societal progress for brand loyalty and data metrics. We must ask: when a corporation “gives,” what is the PRICE everyone else pays?
Author: Kayitsi.com
