Digital Sovereignty: A Diplomatic Tool in Modern Cyber Warfare

Abstract

This paper explores the notion of digital sovereignty, which highlights the national ownership of the digital resources within a country, such as the infrastructure, data, and technologies in a more or less interconnected world. Digital sovereignty as a vital part of national security is especially essential to democratic countries, where these fundamental principles as privacy and freedom of expression are preserved along with tackling security issues. Through qualitative and quantitative research, the paper examines the convergence of digital sovereignty, the internet and communication. It emphasizes the fact that cyber warfare makes it difficult to distinguish between physical and virtual conflicts, which is why the diplomatic frameworks have to evolve, as well. The paper identifies both the traditional and cyber conflicts with the lack of vivid rules and values, which makes governance more difficult. As cyber tools become a more important political tool in diplomacy, the paper explores issues of accountability, digital privacy protection, and international regulation with references to such models as the GDPR by the EU and the cyber sovereignty framework developed by China.