{"id":126689,"date":"2025-02-17T17:05:58","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T14:05:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/126689\/"},"modified":"2025-02-20T13:01:24","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T10:01:24","slug":"belarus-pursues-digital-sovereignty-amid-fears-of-external-influence","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/126689\/","title":{"rendered":"Belarus pursues digital sovereignty amid fears of external influence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The Belarusian government has approved a digital sovereignty concept until 2030, aiming for greater control over the once-thriving IT sector.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"block-image block-image-normal\">\n\n    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1128\" height=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/matrix_pixabay.com_.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/matrix_pixabay.com_.jpg 1128w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/matrix_pixabay.com_-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/matrix_pixabay.com_-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/matrix_pixabay.com_-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/matrix_pixabay.com_-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1128px) 100vw, 1128px\" \/>\n    <figcaption>\n        \n                    <div class=\"block-image__author\">\n                                <span>(Gerd Altmann \/ pixabay.com)<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Election as watershed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The government&#8217;s crackdown on dissent following the disputed 2020 presidential election has had a significant impact on the IT sector, which had flourished prior to the poll by leveraging generous tax breaks and elements of a market economy. However, the postelection protests and Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion of Ukraine exposed the vulnerabilities of closed regimes in the global digital arena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Russia began discussing digital sovereignty in response to international sanctions, seeking to reduce its reliance on Western technologies. Belarus is now following a similar path.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-flourish wp-block-embed-flourish\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Interactive or visual content\" src=\"https:\/\/flo.uri.sh\/visualisation\/21432256\/embed#?secret=jQ0wJtxIlc\" data-secret=\"jQ0wJtxIlc\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" height=\"575\" width=\"500\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Control over innovation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The global digital economy thrives on the free exchange of knowledge and technology, whereas isolation can lead to stagnation and digital degradation. Digital sovereignty has been a topic of discussion in Russian-speaking communities since 2019, when Russia adopted laws to secure a sovereign internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Belarus, digital sovereignty is defined by law as the government\u2019s right to manage IT infrastructure and control digital tools. Notably, this definition makes no mention of the rights of citizens, society, or users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Security or isolation?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Belarusian government defends its digital sovereignty measures, citing the need to protect the nation from external interference and reduce reliance on foreign technologies. However, there are deeper concerns behind these decisions. The global digital landscape produces alternative information flows that the Belarusian authorities cannot control. The events of 2020 highlighted the crucial role that social media and messaging apps play in political mobilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like Russia, Belarus is aware of its technological lag, as most IT services and cloud solutions are developed abroad. Sanctions have already disrupted key sectors such as finance, industry and document management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The concept acknowledges the challenges involved in reorienting the IT sector to meet domestic needs. It also recognizes that Belarusian companies are finding it increasingly difficult to operate on the international stage, prompting many to relocate abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Open-source software, centralized systems, human resources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To enhance Belarus\u2019 digital sovereignty, the concept outlines the following measures:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wider adoption of open-source software to reduce dependence on Western products amid sanctions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A centralized system for managing information databases and services<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Investment in human resources (although no specific strategies are proposed to retain IT professionals)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The document acknowledges that effective IT sector development can only occur within the global economy, not in isolation. Nonetheless, the government insists on maintaining autonomy and control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Belarus rejects global integration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The concept does not outline a strategy for integrating Belarus into the global digital economy. It stops short of advocating cooperation with leading technology hubs or promoting an open IT market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 2010s, Belarus was an emerging player in the international IT market, but now officials are advocating for digital autarky. The focus has shifted to regulation and state control, with participation in international digital policy organizations as the sole means of integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Many_Bel_POZ_Archive_1440-0814-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Many_Bel_POZ_Archive_1440-0814-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Many_Bel_POZ_Archive_1440-0814-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Many_Bel_POZ_Archive_1440-0814-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Many_Bel_POZ_Archive_1440-0814-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Many_Bel_POZ_Archive_1440-0814.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> \u0410\u043d\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">\u0410\u043d\u0430\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0438\u043a\u0430<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">Belarus&#039; pay rise seen as unsustainable trend<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">The average salary in Belarus reached a record high in 2024. The government highlighted this achievement in the run-up to January\u2019s presidential election. However, economists caution that salaries may decrease due to inflation, as the government plans to expand state-led &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/longreads\/125151\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Belarusian government has approved a digital sovereignty concept until 2030, aiming for greater control over the once-thriving IT sector. Election as watershed The government&#8217;s crackdown on dissent following the disputed 2020 presidential election has had a significant impact on the IT sector, which had flourished prior to the poll by leveraging generous tax breaks [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":125551,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-126689","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Belarus pursues digital sovereignty amid fears of external influence | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Belarusian government has approved a digital sovereignty concept until 2030, aiming for greater control over the once-thriving IT sector. Election as\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/126689\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Belarus pursues digital sovereignty amid fears of external influence | Pozirk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Belarusian government has approved a digital sovereignty concept until 2030, aiming for greater control over the once-thriving IT sector. 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