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Power is moving from territory to data, algorithms, and digital ecosystem control, as mankind enters the digital era. By attempting to regulate AI, digital censorship, cultural preservation, and the Big Tech, governments are redefining transnational geopolitical dynamics while claiming digital sovereignty.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ป โ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป โ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐บ?
Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a disruptive force in world politics. The European Union in March 2024 passed the worldโs most comprehensive AI law. The law classified systems by risk, restricting high-risk uses. It also banned real-time biometric surveillance in most public areas, and mandated transparency for generative AI models like OpenAIโs ChatGPT. This came in response to AI misuse scandals and protests in Germany and France.
Contrarily, the U.S. follows a sector-specific, non-binding approach, relying on voluntary commitments from enterprises like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI. With biased hiring tools and surveillance tech still largely unregulated, debates continue over whether the U.S. is losing ground in AI governance.
Meanwhile, China, with the highest global investment in AI research and strict laws on algorithmic recommendation systems, is expanding its geopolitical influence, as per Stanfordโs 2024 AI Index. The document also underscores Chinaโs leading role, marking a major shift in the global balance of AI power.
๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง โ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญโ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ณ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐
Global connectivity may be promised by AI and social media, but they also frequently promote a homogeneity that undermines regional identities. Cultural variety may be diluted by globally dominant platforms like TikTok and Netflix. For example, Istanbul’s TikTok tendencies are similar to those in Jakarta or Sรฃo Paulo, whereas Netflix algorithms favor Western or English-language content, curbing the depiction of regional narratives, non-Western culture, and indigenous languages.
Countries like France, are deploying digital tools to safeguard culture. It responded with a quota of 30% dedicated to European content. This policy led to a rise in locally produced French shows, such as “Lupin,” gaining global popularity.
Bill C-11, which Canada approved in 2022, gave its broadcasting regulator more authority over digital platforms in order to support Canadian voices and stories. It gives the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission the right to promote local content on platforms like YouTube, while countering U.S.-centric algorithms. Despite concerns about possible overregulation, preliminary data suggests increased visibility for Canadian content.
The Indian government is funding AI projects like Bhashini to preserve endangered languages by using machine translation and speech recognition. This bridges gaps across the 22 official languages and hundreds of dialects which were mostly ignored previously, as platforms favored English and Hindi. Now, regional language access is expanding, preserving heritage and promoting inclusiveness in digital governance.
๐๐๐ง๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ
Authoritarian control is frequently hidden by digital sovereignty, as governments limit discussions and access under security or cultural pretexts. China’s “Great Firewall,” which reportedly stifled COVID-19 reporting, tightens official control by blocking websites like Google and Twitter.ย
During the invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s 2019 “Sovereign Internet” law permits censorship, universal digital isolation, and prohibitions on platforms such as Facebook. The state-run Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) handles all internet traffic, allowing for deep surveillance even as Iran develops its own National Information Network (NIN) that operates autonomously of the global network by using local servers, data, and user IDs.
This issue exists even in democracies like India. In 2023, the country used its IT Rules 2021 to prohibit BBC clips that were critical of Prime Minister Modi, alleging national security, which drew international criticism for press freedom.
๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐ฌ. ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง-๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ
Competing with nation-states, tech behemoths like Meta, Alphabet, Apple, and Amazon have profits that surpass many national GDPs and platforms that influence public health and politics, frequently without democratic supervision. In 2021, by removing news from Facebook in response to Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code, which mandated that platforms compensate local publishers, Meta disrupted access to critical information and sparked urgent discussions.
The 2023 Digital Markets Act (DMA) of the EU seeks to limit the monopolistic power of the “Big Tech gatekeepers” by enforcing interoperability and data-sharing requirements. For instance, Android users must now be able to select default apps from Google. Critics claim that despite early indications of increased customer choice, compliance is sluggish. There is inconsistent enforcement, particularly in the global south where governments have little clout. People continue to be governed by laws created in Silicon Valley boardrooms as states attempt to regain authority.
๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐๐
Digital sovereignty weighs national identity against the threat of an authoritarian, fragmented internet. Determining who owns the technology and whose interests it serves is more crucial than ever as AI impacts everything today. While UNESCO’s 2021 AI Ethics framework, supported by 193 countries, advocates for responsibility and inclusiveness, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) advocates for transparency and human rights. China is extending its digital authoritarianism with its Belt and Road Initiative, while Russia and Iran are building independent digital networks. Both the EU and the U.S. favour open but controlled systems. The Internet has the potential of being divided by monopolies, markets, or autocracies in the absence of legally binding international regulations. Instead of controlling, true sovereignty must empower. This should come to immediate notice as there is not much time left to ensure a democratic digital future.
These pieces are being published as they have been received โ they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.