Problem
Research questions and friction points this paper is trying to address.
digital sovereignty
artificial intelligence
mobile shopping apps
platform transparency
user control
Investigating Artificial Intelligence Digital Sovereignty in Mobile Shopping Apps: A Case Study of Nigeria
🤖 AI Summary
This study addresses the growing deployment of AI-driven mobile shopping applications in Nigeria, where widespread adoption coexists with users’ limited awareness of and control over AI systems, thereby undermining their digital sovereignty. For the first time, platform transparency is operationalized as a core indicator of digital sovereignty. Through a multimodal methodology combining Android app forensic analysis, documentation content review, and contextual examination of socioeconomic factors, the research systematically evaluates how AI functionalities are implemented and disclosed. Findings reveal that although AI is pervasively embedded in these applications, transparency remains consistently low, user understanding is constrained, and capacities for meaningful interaction are unevenly distributed. These results underscore the urgent need to strengthen user agency and AI governance frameworks within consumer platforms in developing countries.
📝 Abstract
The use of e-commerce mobile applications is expanding in Nigeria, creating both opportunities and risks, including fraud and reduced user control over digital technologies, raising concerns about digital sovereignty. This research examines how Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nigerian mobile applications affects digital sovereignty, examined through platform transparency as a key indicator of user awareness and control. Using an interpretive approach, the research combines the forensic analysis of selected Android applications with contextual document analysis to identify AI features and evaluate disclosure practices. The findings show that AI is widely implemented in the applications, yet transparency about its use remains limited. A socio-economic analysis of Nigeria further shows an increasing dependence on consumer digital platforms, moderate AI awareness, and uneven patterns of interaction. By providing empirical evidence on AI transparency and platform practices, this study advances understanding of individual digital sovereignty and highlights challenges for protecting user control in AI-driven digital environments.
Innovation
Methods, ideas, or system contributions that make the work stand out.
digital sovereignty
AI transparency
mobile shopping apps
platform governance
user control
🔎 Similar Papers
No similar papers found.
