The meaning, origins and relevance of infor­ mation sovereignty

Abstract

Increasingly, national mechanisms for ensuring information sovereignty have been gaining significance in Russia and Belarus, given the widespread use of the Internet in daily life, the growth of online audiences, and the integration of IT intomany aspects and new areas of social interactions. The importance of information sovereignty was amplified by the progress of digital integration, and also by the activity of international organisations. For example, national security is mentioned as one of the tenets of digital integration in the Eurasian Economic Union’s fundamental objectives for the advancement of the digital agenda until 2025. The primary focus of the information security concept now being created in the Union State is the members’ territorial integrity. There has not been a common, widely accepted Concept of information sovereignty to date, calling for a comprehensive academic review of the underlying phenomenon in the modern state. An academic exami­ nation of information sovereignty and related topics, including their historical development and current understandings, is presen ted. We analyse the theoretical and normative interpretations of information sovereignty as they relate to the Russian Fede ration and the Republic of Belarus, and derive various insights that enhance the understanding of information sove reignty as a unique concept in political science, clarify its attributes and the three stages in the evolution of its understanding.