Dependent on the USA. NUPI researcher Niels Nagelhus Schia believes that we are completely dependent on American technology, and we will continue to be. Therefore, it is important for us to be friends with the USA, according to Schia. Photo: Therese Leine (NUPI)
Norway is so dependent on American technology companies that it is not realistic to opt out of them. Now we must ensure that this dependence does not become a vulnerability, says NUPI researcher Niels Nagelhus Schia.
A full 97 percent of public enterprises in Norway use one or more cloud services, and large parts of our digital infrastructure are built on technology from American companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Google. A technology that the Americans may suddenly choose not to share with us.
This makes Norway vulnerable, says Niels Nagelhus Schia, researcher at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI).
“We are totally dependent on American technology, and we are not going to become less dependent in the future. Therefore, we need to figure out how to deal with this dependence,” says Schia.
How much of Norway is actually dependent on American technology, and what happens if this dependence is one day used against us? It will be discussed when Lytring invites you to a debate in Bodø on Thursday, October 29th.
Technology becomes foreign policy
According to Schia, who is one of the panelists, technology choices have become more than just a question of price, functionality and security.
– When we choose technology, we are in practice making a foreign policy choice, he says.
The National Security Authority has also warned that extensive use of a few foreign cloud providers could weaken Norwegian control over digital infrastructure, systems and data.
There are already concrete examples of technology becoming geopolitics. Microsoft restricted access to some services for the International Criminal Court (ICC) after US sanctions against the court’s prosecutor. The US has also used export controls to restrict access to advanced AI and computer technology.
Three levels of trust
Schia believes Norway must think about technological dependence on several levels.
The first is about the technology itself: Is it good, robust and secure? The second is about the companies and institutions that develop and control the technology. Can we trust that they will also be available if the political situation changes?
The third level is geopolitics.
“When technology is so global and at the same time so critical, this also becomes a foreign policy issue. We need to build trust through geopolitics and ensure that we don't end up in a situation where access to technology is used as a political tool,” says Schia.
Must have something we control ourselves
Schia believes that Norway must build up its own expertise, technology and alternatives in areas that are crucial for societal security.
“Digital sovereignty does not mean that we should do without all foreign technology. That is not possible. We must identify what is absolutely necessary to have one hundred percent control over and build it ourselves,” says Schia.
On Thursday 29 October there will be a debate about this in Stormen Library and the panel will include Niels Nagelhus Schia, Kjetil Jakobsen from Nord University, Tom A. Røtting from Sikt and journalist Kjetil Wiedswang. The debate will be led by NRK journalist Adrian Dahl Johansen.