European politicians who have been complaining recently about the loss of “ digital sovereignty” to US technology companies are like children grumbling in the back of a car about where they are heading.
They itch to climb into the front seat and seize the steering wheel even if they don’t know how to drive. Instead, they ought to stop yapping, take some driving lessons and help design a new car. It is only when Europe becomes a global leader in tech again that it can hope to control the destination of travel in the 21st century.
As almost every aspect of our lives turns digital, Europe’s leaders are right to worry that too much power is being grabbed by consumer internet giants, such as Facebook, Google and Amazon, and Chinese hardware manufacturers, such as Huawei, which runs 5G networks. Sovereign governments used to wield exclusive power over validating identity, running critical infrastructure, regulating information flows and creating money. Several of those functions are being usurped by the latest tech.