Why the global push to break free from Big Tech keeps falling short
In this excerpt from the book “The Rulers: Corporate Power in the Age of AI and the Cloud,” writer Cecilia Rikap examines how Europe, India, Brazil and China are taking on Big Tech companies.
In mid-2024, a cybersecurity error caused a widespread Microsoft Windows disruption, impacting 8.5 million devices and causing major disruptions such as airport shutdowns, airline delays, and broadcasting difficulties. This incident highlighted the global reliance on Big Tech, sparking discussions around digital sovereignty and the ability of democratic governments to secure it.
Outside the U.S. and China, cloud technology leaders have significantly weakened digital sovereignty. Notable examples include the U.K.'s 5-year agreement with Microsoft, Germany's partnership with AWS and its local partner, and New Zealand's reliance on Google Cloud. Israel's $1.2 billion contract with Google and Amazon for a private cloud infrastructure, Project Nimbus, came to light after employees revealed it was designed for military AI surveillance.
Despite governments implementing digital transformation strategies, they continue to rely on cloud hegemons for essential control technologies, complicating regulatory efforts. Among initiatives to counter Big Tech dominance, the European Commission's AI Continent Action Plan, Brazil and India's digital technology strategies stand out.
While these efforts aim to foster digital sovereignty, they often treat cloud technology as standard infrastructure, perpetuating dependencies on Big Tech. China's digital ecosystem, viewed as a potential model, still mirrors U.S. technologies in its approach to intellectual monopolization, with Chinese tech firms prioritizing imitation of U.S. innovations for domestic market advantages.
Written by urgent.news from Rest of World Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
