By john The dream of a free and open internet is fading. Nations are erecting digital borders, turning cyberspace into a patchwork of national jurisdictions — each enforcing Naga169 RTP slot its own rules on data, speech, and surveillance.
China’s “Great Firewall” pioneered the model. Now others follow: Russia’s “sovereign internet” can disconnect from the global web, while the EU enforces strict privacy under the GDPR. The U.S. champions open data flows but increasingly bans Chinese apps over security fears.
Tech sovereignty has become geopolitical strategy. Countries from India to Nigeria are demanding that data generated within their borders be stored locally. “The internet is becoming less global and more geopolitical,” says Oxford researcher Emily Taylor.
This fragmentation carries consequences. Startups face compliance nightmares, and digital trade slows as trust erodes. Authoritarian regimes exploit the trend to censor dissent, while democracies struggle to balance security with freedom.
Efforts to craft global cyber norms at the UN have stalled amid U.S.–China rivalry. As digital walls rise, the internet that once connected humanity now mirrors the divisions of the physical world — divided by firewalls, not frontiers.