NEO-TECHNOSOVEREIGNTY IN THE GLOBALIZED INFORMATION SPACE: BETWEEN DIGITAL AUTHORITARIANISM AND DIGITAL DEMOCRACY

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive theoretical and empirical analysis of neo technosovereignty as a post-nonclassical form of state power transformation under the conditions of digitalization, globalization, and the platformization of the political space in the twenty-first century. It is argued that neo-technosovereignty emerges at the intersection of two alternative trajectories of digital political regimes, digital authoritarianism and digital democracy, functioning simultaneously as a mechanism for safeguarding state autonomy and as a potential instrument for the concentration of technological power. Unlike classical Westphalian idea, which was based on territorial control and the monopoly on the legitimate use of violence, neo-technosovereignty is centered on control over critical digital infrastructure, data flows, algorithms, and technological standards. The article analyzes key international theoretical approaches to digital and technological sovereignty and outlines the contributions of Ukrainian scholars, for whom technosovereignty is closely linked to issues of national security, hybrid threats, and warfare. Special attention is devoted to the Ukrainian case as a unique empirical laboratory of neo-technosovereignty under conditions of full-scale war. It is demonstrated that Ukraine’s experience reveals the  functional nature of contemporary sovereignty, which is exercised through the resilience of the digital state, cybersecurity, information space governance, and networked interaction among state, private, and international actors. The article concludes that neo-technosovereignty is not a normatively neutral phenomenon; rather, its democratic or authoritarian potential is determined by the level of civic oversight and the transparency of digital governance.