Search Results: TechSovereignty

Cory Doctorow argues that governments worldwide hold an overlooked tool to dismantle Big Tech's monopoly power: repealing anticircumvention laws like the DMCA Section 1201. These laws criminalize modifying tech products, preventing local alternatives that could enforce privacy, enable interoperability, and resist geopolitical coercion. By freeing developers to create competitive tools, nations could achieve 'predistribution'—stopping extraction at its source—rather than fighting losing battles over redistribution.

Despite tightened export controls, US-manufactured advanced semiconductors continue appearing in Russian weapons and fueling China's military AI, exposing a dangerous compliance gap. The industry's failure to prioritize enforcement demands adopting the rigorous 'know your customer' models proven in banking, backed by severe penalties and executive accountability, to protect national security.