I think the abstract of the white paper is better presented than this summary in the sense that it clarifies that Public != Government and Public != State. As a citizen of a country who, for almost 50 years, had a political police for surveilling common people, I'm very unease with the concept of sovereignty. And while I'm not a full-fledged anarchist, I see myself very much as a libertarian communist. As such, I give much importance to the concept of democratic deliberation throughout all social sectors. At the same time, there's no solution to capitalism that doesn't include a stronger internationalism.

"In a new white paper I co-authored with Cecilia Rikap, Cédric Durand, Edemilson Paraná, and Paolo Gerbaudo, we make the case that countries have another option. Instead of being forced to choose between the US and China, governments should work together to make the necessary investments to build physical infrastructure and develop digital platforms and services that serve their people and the planet, instead of the dominant geopolitical forces.

We lay out a series of policy proposals that envision a wholly different vision for digital technology — one that returns power to governments and their citizens outside the United States and China, and that ensures technological development is reoriented toward public flourishing instead of maximizing the profits of tech companies and the power of the countries they’re headquartered in. Tech discourse often positions the government as an inherent threat to people’s rights, while far too often letting corporations off the hook. But if we’re ever to seriously challenge the power of major tech companies, the power of government will need to play an essential role.

Our proposal is an ambitious one — and a radical one as well. But given the circumstances, it’s time to be bold..."

https://disconnect.blog/why-we-must-reclaim-digital-sovereignty/

#DigitalSovereignty #BigTech #SiliconValley #Imperialism