When countries get hooked on US tech, their governments are constrained in reining in tech’s harms while most of the economic benefits accrue to the United States.
It’s time to break out of that trap — but that means challenging the Silicon Valley model, not creating our own digital colonizers.
https://disconnect.blog/escaping-the-trap-of-us-tech-dependence/
For decades, Canadians eagerly rushed onto US tech platforms and services. But now the drawbacks of that dependence are on full display.
For the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, I explain the economic and political consequences of a US-dominated internet — and why digital sovereignty is imperative.
https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/every-data-centre-is-a-u-s-military-base/
#tech #canada #cdnpoli #cdntech #digitalsovereignty #politics
Is The Fediverse The Key To #Canadian Digital Sovereignty?
When a garbage company becomes Regina's "best news source" because Meta banned actual journalism, we have a problem.
🇨🇦 What if I told you:
- We're hemorrhaging $9.6B/year to Silicon Valley
- 66% of our software engineers flee to the US
- We invented Java, Ethereum, and ActivityPub—the tools of our own digital colonization
- A Canadian citizen (Musk) uses his American platform to call Canada "not a real country"
The Fediverse isn't perfect. But at least we control it. Corporations can't turn off our communication at a whim when they don't like the laws passed by our parliament.
New article: https://mathewstorm.ca/blog/Digital_Sovereignty/fediverse-sovereignty-journalistic/
#Fediverse #DigitalSovereignty #Canada #CanadianTech #cdnpoli #cdntech #journalism #TechPhilosophy #Philosophy #CanadaTech #boycottusa #elbowsup
Western leaders have appeased Donald Trump since he returned to power, only to be hit with new demands after every concession.
On Tuesday, Trump declared economic war on countries that regulate its tech companies. It’s time for the world to break from the US and aggressively target Silicon Valley.
https://www.disconnect.blog/p/world-leaders-must-stop-appeasing
#tech #donaldtrump #digitalsovereignty #regulation #eutech #cdntech #cdnpoli #eupol
Canada is facing one of its worst wildfire seasons on record, and my home province is particularly hard hit.
Seeing how false and misleading information about the fires is spreading online has only further convinced me social media is a social cancer.
https://www.disconnect.blog/p/wading-through-the-social-media-haze
#tech #socialmedia #facebook #canada #cdnpoli #cdntech #meta #wildfires #canada
Mark Carney wants economic growth at any cost. To achieve it, he’s going after tech investment and pushing hard for AI adoption.
In the process, AI regulations are being thrown on the bonfire and tech harms are an afterthought. It’s a recipe for disaster.
https://www.disconnect.blog/p/mark-carney-is-going-elbows-down
#tech #canada #cdnpoli #cdntech #ai #artificialintelligence #digitialsovereignty
Mark Carney promised “elbows up” against the US, but he’s offering a warm embrace to US tech companies and the AI hype they’ve unleashed.
As Canada’s AI minister suggests AI regulation is off the table, there’s ample reason to be worried about Carney’s tech agenda.
My latest for @TheBreach: https://breachmedia.ca/mark-carneys-ai-agenda-is-a-gift-to-big-tech/
#tech #canada #cdnpoli #cdntech #ai #aihype #generativeai #politics
Canada can see the costs of dependence on the US first hand. Trump is bullying us and Silicon Valley used his leverage to kill the digital services tax.
As the Canadian government looks for a new cloud provider, it shouldn’t just prioritize local companies; it should invest in a public cloud.
https://www.disconnect.blog/p/why-canada-needs-to-build-a-public
#tech #canada #cdnpoli #cdntech #cloud #datacenters #politics #digitalsovereignty
Canada needs to reduce its dependence on US tech companies — and cloud infrastructure is a perfect place to start.
For the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, I explain the threat posed by our dependence on US-owned data centres and why we need a public cloud that isn’t shaped by the pressure for shareholder profits.
#tech #cloud #datacenters #cdnpoli #cdntech #canada #markcarney
During the 2025 election campaign, prime minister Mark Carney made a striking admission about Canada’s dependence on U.S. tech companies. The Canadian government was in the process of choosing a partner for a 25-year cloud computing contract for the federal government. The contract’s length should have set off red flags of its own, but the…
Paris Marx
somecanuckchick
Mathew Storm
