This article argues that the digitalisation of food assistance mimics aspects of colonialism, especially in terms of the asymmetries involved in the extraction of data (as a valuable resource) from vulnerable populations and the dominating role of US-based multinationals. Data extraction involves the collection of information by corporations, sometimes in collaboration with states, on personal identities, finance, behaviour, interests, connections, that can be used to profile, categorise, and influence populations for commercial and political purposes. Such data is created with every form of digital transaction, so the question of who owns, stores, and processes data, whether multinational, state, or private sector, and what happens to such data is urgent.

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