Time to Break Free from Big Tech! 

All of these companies are known to declare large portions of their corporate revenue in tax havens around the world, to the detriment of their full and rightful contribution to our economy.  Yet we willingly give them control of our most confidential and sensitive data.

We keep using technology we don’t own and can’t control, even though our homegrown solutions are just as powerful and sustainable, more affordable, and fully compliant with our laws, our requirements and values. It makes no sense. The new U.S. administration, in contrast, seems to be charging ahead with its agenda, doubling down on economic nationalism and making no apologies in the process. Let’s take that as our cue to realign our economic priorities with the new world order.

Tough societal choices looming ahead   

Looking at recent developments, it’s safe to say that we will have no choice but to better control our data, the way Europe does. Why? Because even when data is hosted in Canada by U.S. providers, U.S. law still applies to these American providers—despite what Amazon, Microsoft and other U.S. clouds would like us to believe. So yes, we do have a long way to go, but we also have this opportunity now to loosen Big Tech’s grip on most of our data, especially our highly sensitive data.

All the pieces are in place for us to switch to a Canadian sovereign cloud and reclaim our digital autonomy. Every decision we make, every contract we sign helps shape the future—our future. We have the expertise, and we have the sustainable infrastructure to support our needs. If we want to break free from tech giants and keep our economy strong, we must start right here, right now. We’re sending billions of dollars across the border despite the fact that we have the means to control our data here, where it’s protected by our laws. This can’t go on. It’s time the Canadian government stepped up and recognized that, amid the incoming economic threat from the U.S., losing control over our citizens’ data is another serious threat we can’t afford to ignore.

Today, on Data Privacy Day, we call on Canada’s political parties to take a strong stand in favour of asserting digital sovereignty and introducing measures that give Canadian companies an edge in managing our sensitive, strategic data. Because Canadian data belongs to Canadians.