Data Sovereignty vs. Digital Globalisation

Data is the new oil in a digital world. Data creates tension in data sovereignty and digital globalisation. Data sovereignty is a country’s ownership of data in terms of data storage, processing, and access. Data sovereignty emphasises data security, privacy, and self-sufficiency. Digital globalisation is the free flow of data across international borders. It fuels innovation, trade, and artificial intelligence development. This is a significant problem in BRICS countries like Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and new members like Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE. BRICS represents 45% of the world’s population and 35% of the world’s GDP. They face American technology hegemony.[i]

BRICS depends on American clouds such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. Spying, data theft, and loss of profits can happen. Russia has Rostelecom Cloud, which came after the sanctions in 2022. China has the Great Firewall and Cybersecurity Law. India has the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023. It demands key data to remain local. Brazil has LGPD, and South Africa has POPIA. All these are against “data colonialism.” Here, data from the Global South fuels Western artificial intelligence without any benefits for the South. However, there are drawbacks to data sovereignty. It can increase the cost of data centers. It can slow down development and fragment the internet. This can hurt trade. Digital globalisation uses Internet protocols such as TCP/IP. It has created huge industries. Alibaba grows due to data from the globe. Artificial intelligence requires huge data sets that span countries. BRICS requires international links to develop technology, such as Huawei and Jio.[ii] [iii]

A BRICS Digital Compact will achieve a balance of both. It will be based on the 2024 Rio Declaration for Global South data rules. It will advocate for shared infrastructure, standards, and group power. One may envision a BRICS Cloud network stretching from Rio to Shanghai. It will utilise Russia’s cyber expertise, India’s coding talent, and China’s hardware capabilities.[iv]

 

 

 

[i] Rio de Janeiro Declaration- Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance. (2025, July 7). https://www.pib.gov.in/www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=2142786

 

[ii] Rio de Janeiro Declaration- Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance. (2025, July 7). https://www.pib.gov.in/www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=2142786

 

[iii] Liao, W. (n.d.). The Rio Declaration: Architecting a Data Economy for the Global South – IDEAS-BRICS. Retrieved March 31, 2026, from https://ideas-brics.org/the-rio-declaration-architecting-a-data-economy-for-the-global-south/

 

[iv] Mustafa, I. (2025, May 27). BRICS approves Joint Declaration for fairer, more inclusive global trade. https://brics.br/en/news/brics-approves-joint-declaration-for-fairer-more-inclusive-global-trade

Sovereignty vs. Free Flows

Data sovereignty is fueled by the Snowden effect and the US CLOUD Act. It enables US access to data globally. Countries prioritise privacy and security. BRICS nations view US clouds as threats. China views US clouds as control tools. India wants to strike a balance. Digital globalisation is subject to WTO rules. It generates $5 trillion in digital trade annually. It creates benefits like China’s Digital Silk Road. But the West earns 90 percent of cloud money.

Area	Data Sovereignty	Digital Globalisation
Main Idea	Control local data	Free global flows
BRICS Examples	China MLPS 2.0, India DPDP Act	BRICS Pay system
Benefits	Security, jobs, IP protection	Growth, scale, low costs
Drawbacks	High costs, slow innovation	Spy risks, lost profits
World Effect	Multi-power digital world	U.S. leads still

 

 

BRICS Digital Push

BRICS summits indeed spark change. The Kazan Declaration of 2024 insists on making sovereign payments and setting rules for Artificial Intelligence. The 2025 Rio Summit resulted in the Rio Declaration, which sets data rules with sovereignty first and global connectivity second. Major provisions include the BRICS Cable for infrastructure, data trust rules, the BRICS Cyber Shield to prevent hacking, and Digital India training for the entire bloc by India. China is investing $1 trillion in digital infrastructure by 2030. It is building 5G networks in Africa and Asia. India is linking its UPI with BRICS Pay for instant payment. Brazil is testing green data centers as the host. Russia is sharing ransomware tools. South Africa includes mobile money. China is helping Ethiopia develop its own cloud infrastructure.[i]

Challenges and Solutions

[i] Jiang, M., & Belli, L. (n.d.). Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries.

BRICS is facing a split. The public nature of the Chinese economy does not match the private nature of the Indian economy, such as Reliance Jio. The isolated nature of the Russian economy due to sanctions is a problem. The Western economy of Brazil is a concern. The human rights of Iran are an issue. The U.S./EU are blocking chips and calling them unfair. The technology is lagging in quantum security. Internet penetration is 40% in Africa. The solutions are to test encrypted trade links, such as India-China electronics. A BRICS Digital Council will be created with fair voting rights. A funding of $50 billion will be provided via the New Development Bank for fiber and skills. The Data Pact will be pushed via the UN in 2026. Tencent, Yandex, and Huawei will partner for local ownership. Yandex has tripled its business after sanctions. MeghRaj is working with over 1000 agencies. Alibaba is running e-commerce pilots.[1]

Global South Power Shift

The compact makes BRICS a Global South leader. ASEAN and the African Union want to connect. The compact connects sovereign nodes via trust – no single leader is above the others. By 2030, BRICS’ digital GDP will reach $10 trillion, matching the G7. Coding and cyber jobs create millions of jobs. Farmers use blockchain for trade. Factories monitor production chains in real-time. BRICS unites home control and equal trade. It shows the world that if you control data, you control growth. The multipolar world is expanding – Global South dictates the rules. Big Tech follows. Half of humanity by mid-century will shape its own digital future. Sovereignty fuels power – cooperation amplifies it. BRICS leads the way.[2]

Endnotes

[1] Belli, L. (n.d.). Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries: A Global South Perspective Fifteen Eighty Four | Cambridge University Press. Retrieved March 31, 2026, from https://cambridgeblog.org/2024/12/digital-sovereignty-in-the-brics-countries-a-global-south-perspective/

 

[2] Rito, I. (2024). China’s Role in Shaping the BRICS Agenda for Digital Sovereignty. https://doi.org/10.57857/ULISBOA.ISCSP.1645-4677.33.2024.000002/PP.13-32

 

By Manju. S

Author is a Post Graduate, Department of Gandhian Thought and Peace Studies, School of Social Science

Central University of Gujarat, Gujarat, India.

[1] Rio de Janeiro Declaration- Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance. (2025, July 7). https://www.pib.gov.in/www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=2142786

 

[1] Rio de Janeiro Declaration- Strengthening Global South Cooperation for a More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance. (2025, July 7). https://www.pib.gov.in/www.pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=2142786

 

[1] Liao, W. (n.d.). The Rio Declaration: Architecting a Data Economy for the Global South – IDEAS-BRICS. Retrieved March 31, 2026, from https://ideas-brics.org/the-rio-declaration-architecting-a-data-economy-for-the-global-south/

 

[1] Mustafa, I. (2025, May 27). BRICS approves Joint Declaration for fairer, more inclusive global trade. https://brics.br/en/news/brics-approves-joint-declaration-for-fairer-more-inclusive-global-trade

 

[1] Jiang, M., & Belli, L. (n.d.). Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries.

 

[1] Belli, L. (n.d.). Digital Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries: A Global South Perspective Fifteen Eighty Four | Cambridge University Press. Retrieved March 31, 2026, from https://cambridgeblog.org/2024/12/digital-sovereignty-in-the-brics-countries-a-global-south-perspective/

 

[1] Rito, I. (2024). China’s Role in Shaping the BRICS Agenda for Digital Sovereignty. https://doi.org/10.57857/ULISBOA.ISCSP.1645-4677.33.2024.000002/PP.13-32