Norway must ensure digital sovereignty
The public sector must stop buying technology that contributes to services and systems we depend on being locked in the hands of global technology giants.
This is what NITO writes together with Tekna and the Consumer Council in an op-ed in Klassekampen.
Read the full article here: We invest in our own powerlessness
Recently, the news came out that confirms why it is urgent to strengthen our digital sovereignty.
From one day to the next, the US authorities ensured that access to the strongest AI tools from the tech giant Anthropic was removed for all foreigners. The reason is that it is about the security interests of the United States.
It shows with all possible clarity the risk that we have made ourselves so one-sided dependent on American technology companies. What used to be a theoretical risk is now reality: Overnight, access can disappear, conditions can change, and systems on which we build public services can be controlled and stopped outside Norwegian control.
This is an untenable situation.
Therefore, Tekna, the Consumer Council and NITO are now joining forces on concrete recommendations to the government and Minister of Digitalization Karianne Tung: The public sector must stop buying technology that contributes to services and systems we all depend on being locked in with global technology giants.
In the worst case, we build public services on suppliers who both own the infrastructure and can turn off the switch.
Instead, new requirements must be set where open standards actually become important when the public sector buys technology. Open code that can be built, used and reused by everyone will strengthen the Norwegian technology sector and help to take back control. In addition, we get technology that suits our needs and requirements for security, consumer rights and privacy.
The public sector must demand open interfaces, documented exit opportunities, access to subcontractors and clear boundaries for the supplier's reuse of public sector data.
Long-term control must count, not just short-term price.
At the same time, demands alone are not enough. The public sector must also use its purchasing power to build the market for solutions we can actually control. There are already alternatives, but they will not become real options if public billions continue to go to the same global platforms every time.
The picture in the case is from the meeting NITO, Tekna and the Consumer Council had with the Minister of Digitalization and Public Administration Karianne Tung. Photo: Mikkel Moe/Tekna.
