A Māori social media app had its soft launch in June, and the platform creator believes it has massive potential to empower Māori while maintaining high standards of privacy and control.
BJ Walbaekken (Waikato-Tainui) the co-creator of Tōku Whānau, says the platform was built to provide Māori with a safe digital space as an alternative to mainstream social media platforms where Māori data is being mined, used and monetised.
BJ has worked for decades as an information systems engineer for both Māori organisations and for big business. He and his wife, Trevnia Walbaekken (Ngāti Kahungunu) created and self-funded the Tōku Whānau platform out of concern that Māori data is at risk when using platforms owned and controlled by ‘Big Tech’ corporations.
“I’m not saying social media is bad, but people need to realise using platforms that are owned by people who have no connection or understanding of te ao Māori has created a loss of control over our data. It works while you are alive today, but fast forward 100 years from now, we need to ask what’s going to happen when our grandchildren want the data and information about their history back? These huge corporations will be charging our grandchildren for the right to retrieve their own history. Whoever owns the data writes the history, and that is dangerous for us,” says BJ.
BJ has worked for many Māori organisations who have created wonderful ways to tell their histories. However, while that is important, he says there is also a need to tell today’s stories while keeping the information safe for future generations.
He says the largest repository of Māori information in the world is currently held by Meta (the company that owns Facebook) and because te reo is widely used on Facebook, AI versions of te reo have been created without Māori permission or control. “Information is a taonga and it should be protected accordingly,” he says.
BJ, in partnership with principal investigator Dr Moana Rarere from Waikato University, were successful recipients of a Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Matakitenga grant. Their research seeks to better understand what Māori want from social media, how we use social media, and what our concerns are. This research guided him on what kinds of functionality Tōku Whānau should have. Researchers found that people wanted a safe digital space where they could connect with their culture and identity, connect with iwi and hapū, and see a place where their reo, pūrākau, waiata and karakia were available. Participants also expressed a desire to see the platforms promote Māori business and economic empowerment. Privacy and data control were issues they were concerned about.
He believes the app’s ability to connect iwi directly with their people will be a game changer. “I have worked for iwi and hapū and they are having problems connecting regularly with their stakeholders. Tōku Whānau will have the potential to do this for the benefit of everyone.”
BJ is hoping to raise investment for further development of the platform and has been approached by iwi who are interested in owning the platform. However, BJ would prefer ownership to be shared by all Māori, with a governing board having oversight of the platform. “I don’t just want one entity or organisation to have ownership or control, I imagine it to be for everyone like Kohanga Reo is for everyone,”
BJ is keen for iwi to be involved in some form, because he says there is more accountability with iwi than with a standard business model. “Businesses are accountable to the shareholders and their bottom line. Iwi are accountable to their people and the children that are not even born yet. You need to be thinking hundreds of years ahead when you are an iwi and we need a similar approach when using social media.”