Clearer thinking needed on technological sovereignty

The concept of technological sovereignty, commonly evoked in the German discussion on digital policy post-Snowden, remains murky and thus readily exploitable by different interests, argued Thorsten Benner during a panel discussion at the Public-IT-Security (PITS) cybersecurity convention in Berlin. Benner said that rather than pontificating about broader industrial policy goals, German policymakers should invest in improving the security of government IT networks and critical infrastructure as well as in promoting the use of encryption.