Should Canada reduce its dependence on American giants like Microsoft, Google and Amazon to better resist Donald Trump’s threats? And if so, can we really achieve “digital sovereignty”? Certainly, say specialists. But the exercise would involve enormous sacrifices.
Published at 9:00 a.m.
What sacrifices are we talking about?
Firstly, it would involve reducing Canadians’ dependence on GAFAM (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft), these American giants used by the majority of companies and institutions in the country. In the current context, we can anticipate American retaliation through these platforms, specialists believe. Next, alternatives should be created. It would be a titanic project, which would cost tens of billions of dollars, but entirely “attainable if the will is there,” says cybersecurity expert and co-founder of Crypto Québec Luc Lefebvre. “That would not necessarily mean going only for Canadian software, but at least having external solutions, which are not American. For example, we could use French messaging tools,” he says. Mr. Lefebvre calls for “a Canadian entrepreneurial culture that would support businesses to develop digital solutions.” “We would find it, our kind of Facebook or Google, without simply copying what the United States is doing. »
Is this really possible?
Yes, but it involves enormous efforts, says cybersecurity specialist at the University of Sherbrooke Steve Waterhouse. “It would certainly be necessary [une volonté] politics, but also a desire for business […] in other words, a Canadian Elon Musk who would invest billions to rebuild Canadian digital infrastructure. And it wouldn’t happen overnight, not at all. » In his eyes, Canada has “lacked vision” for several decades in terms of technological development. “If we had not lost flagships like Nortel, we could have been leaders in the field, and that would have been quite an advantage. But we sat on it. We have not been able to develop our industry. And others, like China, have benefited from it,” adds Mr. Waterhouse, visibly skeptical about the future.
-What would be the limits of such an operation?
From the outset, the main limitation is the basic structure of the Internet which is entirely established in the United States, recalls associate professor at the Sociodigital Media Research Laboratory at UQAM Jonathan Bonneau. “We will always be obliged, for this reason, to receive our data from the United States, and therefore, we are dependent by definition. That said, there are alternatives and many levels that can be more local. We have servers in Quebec which are ready to receive more requests, but which are not known or popular,” he argues. The argument is also environmental, according to him. “Every time we watch Netflix or query ChatGPT, it leaves a significant carbon footprint. And it would be very simple, basically, to have the equivalent of a Google archive originating in Montreal, rather than ten servers in the United States. It would also give us a certain independence,” notes Mr. Bonneau.
Are there any comparables in the world?
A few, yes. In Europe, Baltic countries like Estonia have partly weaned themselves off foreign software in recent years, says Luc Lefebvre. “The context was not necessarily the same, but it took political will to get rid of Russian digital influence, and they did it, with a completely independent digital infrastructure, an identity and new systems. » The government has mainly opted for open sources, that is, software that can be developed by the community, “by and for Estonia”, specifies the specialist. “It had the power to rally everyone around the project. It shows that it is possible here too, because the capacity is there,” continues Mr. Lefebvre.
Besides infrastructure, what would be the main challenge?
Change the habits of consumers and Internet users, says Steve Waterhouse. “It is a very difficult exercise to change the ways of doing things in our current reality. Asking someone to stop using Facebook tomorrow morning, for example, is unthinkable. People grow up with it, are in symbiosis with the platform. And we see it very clearly when breakdowns occur: they need it on a daily basis. » For Luc Lefebvre, the influence of the Quebec government – which has a Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs, unlike Canada – “could be strong if we move forward”. “We are talking about a project lasting at least 10 to 15 years, but I am convinced that it is possible if we have the right people at the helm,” he concludes.
