The PRC essentially pioneered the concept of digital sovereignty with the "Great Firewall" approach in the late 90s. It was famously ridiculed by Bill Clinton as a hopeless endeavour.
In the wake of 2014 and souring relations with the West, Russia also started looking more seriously at digital sovereignty. This was castigated as "isolationism" and an attack on the "open Internet".
Now it's nearing a household term among EU tech groups. Because this was never about democratic ideals, it is about power and control, especially in a volatile multipolar world.
Comparing digital sovereignty w/r/t critical services are hosted to "The Great Firewall" is absurd. It's not the same thing at all.
China and Russia blocking YouTube is different from making sure the entire EU government and economy can't be collapsed by US turning the screws on Amazon.
Come on. We can draw a straight line from the GFW to companies like Baidu and Alibaba. Without it, they would (initially) struggle in direct competition with endemic US products.
In the wake of 2014 and souring relations with the West, Russia also started looking more seriously at digital sovereignty. This was castigated as "isolationism" and an attack on the "open Internet".
Now it's nearing a household term among EU tech groups. Because this was never about democratic ideals, it is about power and control, especially in a volatile multipolar world.