Who influences the digital world today, is it one state or many? The world is no more led by a single superpower. We are now living in a multipolar world, where many countries share power. In this multipolar world, technology and digital power are as essential as economic and military power.
As digital influence grows, the United States, China and the European Union (EU) have emerged with their own model of digital governance, which created digital governance divide. This means countries have different rules for using internet, data protection and technology control. This divide led to shape new global politics and future technology policies.
Multipolarity in Global Politics
As we know, with the end of Cold war, the US stand out as a dominant global power. But today, global politics is multipolar with countries like China, Russia, Brazil, India, and South Africa sharing power. This multipolarity is not just limited to military or economic power, it now also extends to digital world.
Global digital governance is now dominated by three major powers, the US, China and European Union (EU). Internet governance has shifted from unipolar (US-led) to tripolar (the US, China and EU). Each has different model of digital governance with contrasting rules and policies creating digital governance divide.
The United States support an open internet, where anyone can access it freely. Its digital power comes from big tech companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon. The U.S. encourage its tech firms to innovate freely, without strict privacy rules.
The European Union (EU) focuses mainly on privacy and protection of people’s data. The EU influences the whole world with its strict law, like GDPR. These rules even restrict foreign companies to follow EU standards. It uses shared system, where governments and private companies make the rules together.
China has completely different model. It focuses on state-controlled internet, which is called cyber sovereignty. Through its Great Firewall, a digital wall that blocks unwanted websites and controls online activity of a country. China also shares its approach worldwide through events like the World Internet Conference, where countries discuss about how to manage internet governance globally.
These three different models shows that multipolarity is not just limited to economic or military power, but also enter digital world. The US promotes an open, innovative-driven model, the EU leads with privacy-focused approach, and the China focuses on state-controlled approach. This growing difference in approaches is not only shaping digital world, but also creating new rules, rivalries and divisions online.
The Digital Governance Divide
As countries have different regulations for managing the internet, data and technology. This growing difference in rules and regulations of countries is known as the digital governance divide. This divide creates competition and tension among countries, also leading to divided internet.
This digital governance divide is visible in three major areas, digital sovereignty, global digital regulations and technology rivalry. Digital divide begins with the digital sovereignty, where every country wants to control its online space. For instance, China’s model of cyber sovereignty, where state regulate online activity of its citizens. The Great Firewall of China, block thousands of foreign websites and filters the online content.
This divide further extends to global digital regulations, where countries disagree on unified rules for internet and digital technology. The EU lead with strict privacy laws such as GDPR, which also influence other countries. The US prioritize innovation and growth, rather than privacy. While China support state censorship to all digital activities.
Moreover, technology rivalry further deepens the divide. The US and China are competing for dominance in digital world, through enhancement in Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G networks, semiconductors and chip production. While EU focuses more on regulating technology than producing it.
Because of these conflicting models, the world is moving towards splinternet, a fragmented internet, governed by many instead of one. This divide in digital governance not only effect technology, but also reshapes international relations and future global politics.
Implications for Global Politics
The digital rivalry is no longer limited to technology; it is now shaping our Foreign Policy (how state interact on global stage). Countries are now using digital policies as a diplomatic tool, which is called cyber diplomacy. Countries are using digital policies and rules to strengthen their alliances or influence other nations.
For instance, the US promotes open internet and multi-stakeholder model, in which government, companies and civil societies collectively manage the internet governance. China promotes cyber sovereignty model through 5G network and event like World Internet conference. Meanwhile, EU focuses on privacy-driven standards like GDPR, influencing other countries to follow their standards.
This rivalry is also visible in the US-China race in advanced technologies. As the dominance in AI, 5G network and semiconductor production is linked to military and economic power. While, the EU does not compete in production of big technologies, but gain influence by regulating technology through privacy and AI laws.
Consequently, the world is moving toward fragmented internet, also called splinternet. Instead of global, unified internet, there is a divided internet led by different policies of countries. For instance, the US-led free system, China’s led state-controlled system, and the EU’s privacy driven system. This division makes global cooperation harder and increase mistrust.
Developing countries are caught in the middle of this digital rivalry. As many in Asia, Africa, and Latin America rely on technology from developed states. They have to choose the model of the US, China and EU, which limit their digital independence and political flexibility in the future.
Conclusion
The rise of multipolarity has changed the power dynamics from military and economic strength to data and digital influence. The United States, China and European Union shape the internet governance with their own policies, creating a digital governance divide. This divide is shaping balance of power and interactions among countries.
If countries continue with their own policies of digital regulations, then world could face a more fragmented internet and rise in tensions. Global cooperation and formulating shared and unified rules for digital governance is required to prevent this divide. Technology should be used to connect the countries, rather than divide and conflicts.
The future of global politics may not be on battlefields, but in digital rules and regulations. The choices of states today will decide whether the internet will become a tool for connection or division.
References
Pigatto, J. T., Datysgeld, M. W., & Silva, L. G. P. da. (2021). Internet governance is what global stakeholders make of it: a tripolar approach. Revista Brasileira de PolĂtica Internacional, 64(2). https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7329202100211
Fay, R. (2022, February 14). Global Governance of Data and Digital Technologies: A Framework for Peaceful Cooperation. Centre for International Governance Innovation. https://www.cigionline.org/articles/global-governance-of-data-and-digital-technologies-a-framework-for-peaceful-cooperation/
Mathur, A. (n.d.). Global Digital Governance: The Role of Major Economies, Institutions and Agreements. Centre for International Governance Innovation. https://www.cigionline.org/articles/global-digital-governance-the-role-of-major-economies-institutions-and-agreements/
Degterev, D., Ramich, M., & Piskunov, D. (2021). U.S. & China Approaches to Global Internet Governance: “New Bipolarity” in Terms of “the Network Society.” International Organisations Research Journal, 16(3), 7–33. https://doi.org/10.17323/1996-7845-2021-03-01
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