Cyber security and Sovereignty Two levels of digital autonomy

As described in the third part of the paper, two parallel processes are running. The state is being challenged on multiple fronts – online monopolies, populists and crypto-anarchists – while its citizens expect protection not only offline, but online as well. In other words, the pressure on the state apparatus to deliver is twofold. Citizens deserve the protection, as this is the most important promise of the state in the social contract. Once the sovereign cannot protect its sovereign territory – even in cyber space – the contract might become fragile or even broken. This is the state level of digital autonomy. On the other hand, citizens must enjoy their own individual level digital autonomy vis-à-vis their own state. This is the only guarantee that can hinder the birth of surveillance states inside the Euro-Atlantic space.

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