Currently, billions are being invested in the development of ‘the metaverse’ by companies that benefit from a fully digital future. But while the metaverse seems to be on everyone’s lips, it’s not here yet. Is a single unified place called ‘the metaverse’ even possible? And what will be the ecological and material impact of using so much raw computing power to keep a parallel digital world endlessly online? In this dossier, unfolding over the two months, we’ll be sharing our foray into the metaverse and its many facets and tangents. We started with Margarita Osipian’s interview with Marina Otero Verzier about the metaverse’s potential to radically change our data storage infrastructures, followed by an interview with Babusi Nyoni about building a decentralised African metaverse, and an exploration of the ‘metabody’ and its possibility of movements by Guus Hoeberechts. We’ve also partnered up with our friendly AI systems to create a glossary unpacking all the metaverse-esque terminology in our digital vocabulary. And finally, we’ll be sharing an essay questioning who asked for the metaverse.

As privileged heavy internet users in the Global North we Zoom through the day and Netflix and chill at night. We always want more pixels and a higher resolution, while a lighter internet—by that we mean less data, low resolution or low tech —is not only better for the environment, it also reduces the digital divide. In this dossier we discover the possibilities and importance of a lighter internet. Saratu Abiola researches if the blockchain can make the internet more inclusive. Guus Hoeberechts speaks with Innocent Ekejiuba and Ingrid Kopp about how to design for a lighter internet. Lilian Stolk interviews Andres Colmenares about the interconnection between the environmental emergency and social injustice. And Margarita Osipian interviewed eight contributors to the Small File Media Festival who show the beauty and potential in low resolutions and tiny media.

Fan communities are getting more and more powerful both on- and offline. Fans, or stans, are raising money for good causes like Black Lives Matter, and sabotaged Trump’s Tulsa rally during the 2020 presidential campaign. Such bottom-up actions can be refreshing on an internet dominated by a number of Big Tech companies. But stans also have a frightening side. In this online dossier we look at how fans organise online. Artist and guest programmer Sjef van Beers introduces stan culture. We did video interviews with a Rihanna, BTS and ex-Miley Cyrus stan. Christina Eugenia Puentes illustrates the workings of a fan. Guus Hoeberechts talks to Oumaima about her life in the BTS community. And Lilian Stolk interviews David Turner on how stans influence the music industry.

Most of the digital infrastructures around the world are still controlled and governed by Western companies. What are the causes and consequences of that? In this dossier we explore how algorithmic colonialism operates today and what strategies we can use to resist its extractive tendencies. Lilian Stolk asks people from different places around the world, from Russia to Zimbabwe to China, to give us insights into the internet from their perspective. Margarita Osipian interviews Neema Iyer, founder of technology consulting and development firm Pollicy about how to improve data governance across African countries. Multimedia artist Ibiye Camp takes us into the glitches of her imperfect digital world. We gather initiatives in African countries that are pushing back against algorithmic colonialism. And we share ‘must listen’ podcasts that we discovered while researching this dossier.

TikTok is the fastest growing social media network ever. TikTok is the app for making and sharing short videos. Only three years after its launch outside China, the platform has become a serious competitor of American Big Tech companies such as Facebook and YouTube. In this dossier we’re finding out how TikTok is re-writing the world. Josephine Oettle shares her research on the role of TikTok during the 2020 U.S. elections. Lilian Stolk takes a long gaze into TikTok’s magical algorithm. Sjef van Beers maps the interconnected world of TikTok through video collages. And Hamster-TikToker Marieke Kuypers shares her 10 favourite TikTok-niches, next to hamsters, of course.

The days of walking the streets anonymously are over. Chances are that our faces are being tracked while doing groceries, often without us knowing. In this dossier, we explore what the increase in the use of facial recognition systems means for our society. Lilian Stolk wonders to what extent AR filters will protect our face against facial recognition technology. Margarita Osipian asks Controle Alt Delete about the role this technology plays in the hands of the Dutch police. Designer Noam Youngrak Son reflects on how AR filters can be used to create a multiplicious identity. Multidisciplinary researcher Emily West highlights the potential of facial recognition technology in patients with dementia. Still want to protect your face? We conclude with an overview of creative ways to block the technology.

In this dossier we’re exploring how the role of the internet has changed in this time of self-isolation. It includes a privacy expert’s view on how the coronavirus could raise surveillance, a reflection of the changed working life for artists and cultural workers, our research to platforms for online cultural events, a collection of quarantine must-haves from AliExpress, memes sent by parents, must see TikToks and a Corona Cribs quiz!