The process of one nation taking control over another territory and its people, often leading to the exploitation, displacement, and oppression of Indigenous populations. Colonization has long-lasting effects on culture, governance, and society.

Digital technologies often mirror colonial dynamics by extracting knowledge, data, and labor from Indigenous communities, continuing patterns of exploitation. Colonization has not only fractured Indigenous data but also left it incomplete or difficult to interpret, even for members of those communities, further complicating efforts to reclaim and protect Indigenous knowledge. A key unresolved issue is how to effectively decolonize tech and data practices within a global capitalist system that profits from such extraction.