In 2025, the world is defined by computing and the technologies enabled by it. Organizations and individuals relentlessly purchase technology to maximize their missions, often without asking where sovereignty and control of that technology truly lies.
Software-enabled devices are not inert. They can act in the interests of parties other than the buyer. A smart TV, tractor, robotic garage, or military platform may embody the priorities of a manufacturer, vendor, or foreign power.
The Risk to Organizations
A lack of technological sovereignty becomes dangerous when critical systems can be remotely disabled, manipulated, or constrained by outside parties. In defense and national security contexts, that risk can become existential.
Procurement must ask a simple question relentlessly: who truly controls this hardware or software after it has been sold?
The Principle of Technological Sovereignty
A piece of technology must be designed to secure the interests of its owner over those of its creator, a foreign power, or any other entity. It must also be auditable so the owner can verify that this criterion is met.
Open source software is one important path toward that auditability. It allows functionality to be inspected, modified, and controlled by the operator rather than hidden behind opaque vendor claims.