Digital Sovereignty: Has Quebec Just Missed the Train?
In recent years, but especially in recent months, the concept of digital sovereignty has emerged as a strategic issue for governments. Long perceived as an economic sector or simply a lever for administrative efficiency, digital technology is now recognized as a pillar of political, economic, and informational autonomy.
In Quebec, this growing awareness led to the announcement of a digital sovereignty policy, championed in particular by Gilles Bélanger, then Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs.
But since his departure, considering the placing of the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs under Treasury Board, the statements of the new Premier announcing a new “centralised entity specialising in the digital transformation of the State” and the statements of the Minister of the Treasury Board in support of contracts with American firms, one question arises: has Quebec just missed the train of digital sovereignty?
A stated ambition, ….
The adoption of a digital sovereignty policy marks a significant development. It recognises that public data, digital infrastructure and information systems are not neutral: they shape the state’s capacity for action.
From this perspective, the stated objectives are clear: to better protect citizens’ data, reduce dependence on major foreign platforms, and foster the emergence of a local technological ecosystem. This direction brings Quebec into line with trends observed elsewhere, particularly in Europe, where the issue of strategic digital autonomy is now central.
This recognition is in itself a step forward. It places digital technology within the realm of structural public policies, on a par with energy or natural resources.
..but a dependence that persists
However, this ambition quickly comes up against the reality of technological and contractual choices. Despite the talk of sovereignty, the use of foreign suppliers—particularly American ones—remains largely dominant in public digital infrastructure. One need only consider recent government contracts awarded to foreign and often American companies, such as the case of SAAQclic (contract with LGS, a subsidiary of IBM), the childcare registration portal (hosted by Salesforce, whereas the previous version was operated by a Quebec-based company) or, more recently, the Digital Health Record (with the American firm Epic forming the core of the platform). One might also consider the widespread use of Microsoft platforms by public institutions. In this context, Quebec is leasing technology from American firms on which it will be dependent for maintenance, updates, troubleshooting, etc..
Beyond the costs, this dependence raises well-documented issues, particularly regarding legal extraterritoriality. For example, the Cloud Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data), adopted in 2018 during Trump’s first term, could be used by US authorities to force companies to hand over our data even when it is hosted here.
In this context, digital sovereignty cannot be limited to a question of data localisation. It implies real control over software. Free software is a key lever for transparency, control and technological independence that we must rely on.
One step forward, two steps back
The international political context means that digital sovereignty is everywhere. At the time of writing, Europe is rolling out an industrial vision for its entire digital sector and making sustained investments to distance itself from the American web giants. Even the Canadian government appears to be committed to this same path, and several civil society organisations are pushing in unison in this direction.
Yet it is in this context that the new Premier has chosen to ‘attach’ the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs to the Quebec Treasury Board, suggesting that the MCDA’s emerging and innovative expertise will be lost, but above all, that the digital sector will,
Once again, viewed exclusively through the lens of budgetary management and, consequently, that American companies will continue to win tenders.
Digital sovereignty does not rest solely on financial choices. It rests above all on the ability to design, audit and operate complex systems—capabilities that can be developed here, if we collectively choose to invest in the sector.
A turning point
Quebec now finds itself at a turning point. The political recognition of digital sovereignty opens up a real window of opportunity. But without alignment between rhetoric, technological choices and governance structures, this ambition risks remaining largely symbolic.
Digital sovereignty cannot be decreed. It is built through coherent decisions, which may be costly in the short term but are essential in the long term.
If Quebec wishes to turn its ambitions into reality, several conditions appear necessary.
Firstly, it must invest in digital infrastructure and local capabilities capable of meeting the state’s needs whilst adhering to high standards of security and performance. It must actively promote open and interoperable solutions that reduce the effects of technological lock-in.
Finally, partnerships with other jurisdictions sharing similar objectives, particularly in Europe and English-speaking Canada, could enable efforts to be pooled and collective autonomy to be strengthened.
This text was written in collaboration with Stéphane Couture, Teacher, Université de Montréal and originally published on eQualitie.org
