Description
The dominance of foreign tech giants (such as Google, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft) and the lack of digital sovereignty have created a dependency that threatens the resilience and autonomy of the Netherlands and the European Union.
Such a high dependence on these tech companies implies a dependence on extractive business models that prioritize profit over the common good. The spread of misinformation, polarization, manipulation and exploitation of personal data are just some of the undemocratic and harmful practices shaping our current digital domain. With increasing cyber threats and geopolitical tensions, it becomes increasingly important to regain control of our digital infrastructure.
Therefore, there is a need for a new digital ecosystem: one that is based on and serves the collective good rather than corporate profit. A new vision of the digital economy must put democratic and sovereign values at its core.
That’s where Digital Commons come in: collectively governed digital resources, managed by communities rather than corporations. Consider, for example, Mastodon (decentralized social media platform; alternative to Twitter/X) or Nextcloud (self-hosted cloud storage; alternative to Google Drive). These already existing projects prove that it is possible to develop a digital infrastructure in line with democratic principles, including decentralization, joint ownership and care.
To achieve a sovereign and resilient digital ecosystem, we set out three transition pillars:
Digital public infrastructure
Sustainable and democratic revenue and organizational models
Awareness and digital knowledge
Time to act is tight. If Europe wants a digital future that is democratic, sustainable and resilient, it must invest – not in a European version of current prevailing practices, but in robust alternatives.
We need a digital ecosystem that is not only more secure and fair, but also fundamentally different from the extractive models that dominate today. But how can we achieve that?
At Commons Network, we have been working hard to find answers to this question. After a year of research, we are publishing this roadmap that outlines the route to a sovereign and resilient digital ecosystem in light of the many contemporary challenges to our democracy, autonomy and rule of law.
