9 Reasons Why You Need Digital Sovereignty Now!

What is digital sovereignty?

And why do I need it?

This guide gives you an introduction

Let’s get started!

What is digital sovereignty?

Sovereignty is a legal term and, in the digital context, means “self-determination”, “full control”, “autonomy” and “independence” over your own digital world of data and tools.

Instead of giving your data to large corporations outside your sphere of influence, you want to decide for yourself where your data is stored. On the other hand, we have software and tools that run under the licence conditions of the providers. Any provider can stop the service for you overnight because you have posted something “critical”.

People who are concerned with digital sovereignty want to get out of the power imbalance. Let’s be clear right away: 100% sovereignty is never possible: you can’t build your own CPU or have to use the tax office’s software. Nevertheless, we should not capitulate straight away and tackle the problem step by step!

Why should I achieve digital sovereignty?

#1 Underestimating the political risk

Anyone who (professionally) messes with states and political causes become personal should have a home server: This French judge enforced applicable law in Europe against US corporations and received personal sanctions from the US as a private individual. That means no Microsoft Office, all cloud products gone, no more paying with your Visa card and no more social media just for doing your job. Even if the judge regularly paid the fees for the products, all the data is now gone.

#2 Cruel wrong decision with consequences

From one day to the next, cloud providers can lock you out of your documents, data and holiday photos. Reasons such as “child abuse” without further details are put forward as justification and support responses are sparse. This father now no longer has access to his files and cannot back up the remaining private documents that are not “child abuse”,

#3 Compulsory subscriptions – independence from licences

For a few years now, the trend in software purchasing has clearly been in the direction of subscriptions. Instead of buying and owning software, devices or hardware at a one-off price, many providers now offer (exclusively) subscription models. Subscription models make us dependent on the providers.

Example: a photographer needs Adobe Photoshop for image retouching. He would have to buy the software once to edit all his images for the next 20 years. If he is happy with the software, why does he have to pay money every month and get forced updates for features that he doesn’t need in his work process? For me, subscriptions are an obligation to consume. With a one-off purchase, the user is satisfied with all the features and problems of the software and uses it.

#4 Obligation to consume – independence from prices

Many private individuals and companies use Microsoft Office. Many are dependent on the range of functions and cannot switch to another product overnight. The costs increase year after year (more than inflation) and the service in return remains almost the same. Yes, features are added, but most people never need them. Only the people who need the features should be allowed to buy a one-off upgrade.

#5 Privacy is a fundamental right, not a cause for suspicion

Nobody would say: “I don’t need curtains, I have nothing to hide.” Privacy does not protect the guilty, but freedom, autonomy and dignity.

#6 More than just data collection – inferences

Data is not just collected – it is interpreted: Big tech analyses data to identify patterns, make predictions and create profiles. The problem: algorithms can be wrong or context can be lost. Sensitive conclusions are drawn from harmless data (health, sexuality, political views). You may have nothing to hide – but you have a lot to lose if someone categorises you incorrectly.

#7 Devastating power imbalance

Data = control, data is a form of power. Whoever owns it can: Influence behaviour, personalise prices, automate decisions and manipulate people (e.g. political advertising). If only one side knows everything, an asymmetrical balance of power is created that undermines democratic processes.

#8 Your data is playing against you

Today’s data can be used against you tomorrow. Laws change. Governments change. Company policies change. What is harmless today can be problematic tomorrow.

Examples:

• Health data → Insurance risks
• Location data → Movement profiles
• Chat histories → Automated risk assessments

Privacy is a shield against future uncertainty.

#9 You play with the privacy of others

Your data is not just about you. Data is always social: your contacts, your family, your colleagues or your neighbourhood. If you are careless with data, you are also revealing information about others – without their consent.

FAQ

I don’t have any secrets. Why should I?

Privacy is a natural need. Everyone has some aspect of their life that they don’t want to share with anyone or just one person (and not with corporations). The population in Eastern Germany was allergic to Stasi surveillance (police surveillance without any reason), whereas today we close both eyes to corporate surveillance.

Should we stop using the services altogether?

No. If you want, you can continue to use the services. There is no alternative to entertainment with Netflix if you want to watch what’s on Netflix. Cloud services such as compute and storage are suitable for rapid scaling. Consider it an extension to on-prem hardware (home server explained here). Certain offerings such as graphics storage for large language models, backup storage or DDoS protection are products for which the cloud is made.

Don’t the corporations already have all the data?

This question is asked by someone who is about to bury their head in the sand. Even if you have exposed your entire life to the corporations, you can be more careful with your data from now on.

Realising digital sovereignty

100% independence is unrealistic. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t bury your head in the sand and get upset about big tech.

1. Backup: The aim is to first save your private data on a hard drive (backup) so that you still have the data if the worst comes to the worst. You can order cheap HDDs or fast SSDs online. These can store your data securely for years. Make a duplicate copy to rule out a hardware error.
2. Move: Gradually try to free yourself from the chains of Big Tech with clever (open source) alternatives. There is already an open source solution for most problems. You don’t have to do everything yourself, you can also pay people to do it for you. You can host open source variants in the cloud to get at least one step out of dependency.
3. Buying hardware: You will never be able to manufacture hardware yourself, so make sure you buy compatible hardware that is not a golden cage. Some products are heavily dependent on the manufacturer. Android and Apple devices are without updates after a few years, making them useless from a security point of view.