Evolution of the Concept “Territorial Sovereignty” in the Digital Age

The concept of sovereignty was traditionally linked with the notion of territorial control. However, in the digital age, new dimensions of sovereignty appear, including digital sovereignty, which implies the independence of state in domestic and foreign policy in the digital realm. Digital sovereignty is becoming a popular topic in the contemporary scientific research. Cross-border nature, accessibility, and anonymity of ICTs significantly complicate the analogies between territorial and digital sovereignty, but do not make it impossible to ensure sovereignty and protect the jurisdiction of states in the digital realm. Approaches to the definition of the digital sovereignty vary both in scientific literature and in official documents of states and international organizations. Differences reflect the peculiar features of the political culture and the level of digitalization and foreign policy priorities of countries and regions, as well as academic culture. While western authors and politicians use the term “digital sovereignty,” in the Chinese academic literature, the term “Internet sovereignty” is widespread. Russian authors often refer to the term “information sovereignty.” Due to the technological development, new approaches and new terms appear, such as “data sovereignty.” Methodologically, the paper is based on discourse analysis of the official documents of states and international organizations, as well as academic discourse on digital sovereignty. Discourse analysis allows to reveal peculiar characteristics of the digital sovereignty as a practice of states. Motives of states which emphasize the importance of digital sovereignty both domestically and internationally include control over economically valuable resources and politically contested digital spaces. The considerations of cybersecurity and the problem of “digital nonintervention” also play an important role. Digital technologies are transboundary, but in the political sphere, the world is divided into sovereign states. Under these conditions, sovereignty can act as a common denominator necessary for the further development of international cooperation in the field of information security while respecting the interests of all states.