Sovereignty in cyberspace: Balkanization or democratization

Abstract

Inherently linked to States’ sovereignty and its relationship with third-party stakeholders, the governance of cyberspace has become a subject of great debate and controversies. One of the most prominent of them -the dominance of the United States as an hegemon- has raised concerns and triggered diverging reactions within the international community. Looking at recent events such as the invalidation of the Safe Harbor Agreement through the lenses of the balance of power, we found that the reassertion of States in cyberspace is dependent on the political significance given to cyberspace as both a transnational realm and an American-dominated space. If most States have adopted a balancing policy vis-à-vis the US by means of either critical cooperation (EU, France) or what could be described as a form of containment (Russia, China), some others pursue free-riding policies (Ireland, Luxembourg), causing regional struggles. We suggest that, given this fragmentation of the Web, regulation of cyberspace would be best served through a multilateral mode of governance which could enhance collective security.