Whose Language builds the Internet? A Conversation about Access & Power
- Lorella
- Dec 21
- 3 min read
It was my true pleasure to be a guest in the podcast 'Language Access Matters' hosted by language access advocate Carol Velandia. The podcast is a wonderful space to discuss issues of language access and its profound impact on fostering inclusion and unlocking global business opportunities.
True language justice means rewiring infrastructures to prevent dominant languages from silently deciding who can participate and whose knowledge is represented
In today’s digital world, language is far more than a tool for communication. It is a gatekeeper—shaping who can participate, whose knowledge circulates, and which cultures are visible online. Drawing from my work on language, culture, power, and technology, we discussed how multilingualism is imagined and implemented in the digital age.
Language Access: Civil Right or Cultural Heritage?
One of the key distinctions we talked about is the different ways language access is framed across contexts. In the United States, language access is largely understood as a civil right. It is tied to questions of equity, participation, and legal protection—particularly for immigrant and minoritized communities who need access to services, information, and institutions.
In much of Europe, however, language is more often treated as a cultural or heritage issue. Multilingualism is celebrated symbolically, but this framing can sometimes obscure practical questions of access. When language is seen primarily as heritage, the responsibility to provide meaningful multilingual access can become optional rather than essential.
Europe is often praised for its linguistic diversity, yet there are the tensions beneath this reputation.
The Uneven Reality of European Multilingualism
Europe is often praised for its linguistic diversity, yet there are the tensions beneath this reputation. Technologically, English dominates digital infrastructures, platforms, and tools. Even within multilingual initiatives, only a handful of major European languages tend to be prioritized, leaving many others underrepresented or entirely excluded. This imbalance is not accidental. It reflects broader power structures embedded in technology, where efficiency, scalability, and market logic often favor dominant languages. The result is a multilingual landscape that appears inclusive on the surface but reproduces inequality in practice.
Who is imagined as the user? Which languages are built into systems by default? Which ones are treated as add-ons?
Redefining Language Access at the Infrastructure Level
Language access cannot be reduced to after-the-fact translation. Instead, it requires thinking multilingualism from the very beginning, at the level of infrastructure and design. This means asking foundational questions: Who is imagined as the user? Which languages are built into systems by default? Which ones are treated as add-ons? By embedding multilingual design at the infrastructure level, language access becomes proactive rather than reactive—and far more equitable.
My research also challenges the assumption that translation merely reflects language. It demonstrates how translation practices—especially dubbing—can actively influence spoken language. Repeated exposure to translated dialogue shapes expressions, rhythms, and even norms of speech, subtly transforming how people talk in everyday life. This insight underscores the cultural power of translation: it does not simply transfer meaning but participates in the evolution of language itself.
True language justice requires rewiring our infrastructures
Towards True Language Justice
At the heart of our conversation is a powerful argument: true language justice requires rewiring our infrastructures. As long as dominant languages silently determine who can participate, who is heard, and whose knowledge counts, inequality will persist—often unnoticed. Language justice is not only about adding more translations. It is about challenging the systems that normalize exclusion and redesigning them so that linguistic diversity is not an obstacle, but a foundation.
In the digital age, the future of equity may well depend on the languages we choose to build into our technologies—and those we no longer leave behind.
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