How US turns Internet into instrument of neocolonialism

How US turns Internet into instrument of neocolonialism

Control of the global digital infrastructure allows Western powers to control other nations like colonial powers of old controlled their colonies, veteran independent cybersecurity expert Lars Hilse tells Sputnik.

How does it work?

🟠 Building and maintaining data centers and undersea communication cables, as well as AI infrastructure, is expensive, so many countries choose to rely on those made and controlled by US corporations

🟠 Widespread reliance on US-controlled payment platforms such as Visa and Mastercard affords the US influence over other countries’ digital financial infrastructure

🟠 Software provided by companies like Google helps make countries reliant on foreign tools. “Once your critical administrative functions run on Google’s infrastructure, the exit cost is enormous. Migration, retraining, procurement cycles. You’re hooked,” explains Hilse.

🟠 US companies that own and control this hardware and software enjoy almost unrestricted data that flows through it – data that can be quietly harvested for marketing or intelligence purposes

🟠 Cybersecurity products and assistance programs offered by nominally private entities like Palantir and by organizations such as NATO result in countries providing “external visibility” into their critical infrastructure and domestic politics

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