Escaping the Trap of US Tech Dependence

The Digital Wake-Up Call

When US sanctions caused the International Criminal Court's prosecutor to lose access to Microsoft services, European governments recognized their dangerous dependence on American technology. This digital 'kill switch' scenario revealed how geopolitical conflicts could cripple essential services overnight.

Canada faces even greater vulnerability. Our proximity to and deep integration with the United States means:

• Economic leakage: 78% of Canadian digital spending flows to US firms
• Regulatory paralysis: Trade agreements restrict data localization and tech oversight
• Security risks: US cloud providers can't guarantee data protection from government requests

The Conservative-Tech Alliance

Domestic tech executives have aligned with US giants to undermine Canadian regulations. After abandoning support for Pierre Poilievre, they've embraced Mark Carney's investment-focused agenda. The consequences:

• Online Harms Act suspended despite wildfire disinformation crises
• Digital Services Tax sacrificed under US pressure
• AI regulations delayed indefinitely

Historical Roots of Dependence

This imbalance traces back to Clinton-era policies that handed public digital infrastructure to private US corporations. Trade deals like CUSMA cemented disadvantages:

Restriction	Impact
Cross-border data flows	Prevents data localization
Source code secrecy	Blocks regulatory review
Non-discrimination clauses	Favors US tech giants

Sovereign Solutions

Carney's proposed 'sovereign cloud' marks initial progress, but real sovereignty requires:

1. Public alternatives: Crown corporation providing email/cloud services
2. Open-source transition: Migrating schools/government off Microsoft/Google
3. Community tech hubs: Local development centers modeled on libraries

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The Colonizer Trap

Beware domestic tech leaders advocating 'sovereignty' through subsidies without reform. Their Silicon Valley-inspired model:

• Prioritizes shareholder value over public good
• Replicates surveillance capitalism
• Deepens economic inequality

True digital sovereignty requires rejecting both foreign dependence and domestic replicas of harmful tech paradigms. The path forward lies in public-interest technology built by and for Canadians.

Paris Marx is a Canadian tech critic and host of Tech Won't Save Us. His book 'Road to Nowhere' examines transportation technology.