Unraveling China: The Key Players in Shaping the Future of the Internet | Global News

The global internet landscape is currently witnessing the evolution of two competing versions – the US-based model dominated by tech giants like Meta, Alphabet, and Apple, and the Chinese model led by companies such as ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent. These two versions represent starkly different ideologies and approaches to internet governance.

In the US, the focus is on entrepreneurial freedom, with companies driving consumption and commerce. On the other hand, China’s internet is designed as a service and surveillance platform, emphasizing state control, cybersecurity, censorship, and surveillance. Beijing is actively promoting the Chinese internet as part of its “Digital Silk Road” initiative, seeking to influence global norms and reshape the internet landscape.

The divide between the two versions of the internet is becoming more pronounced, with China decoupling itself from the US-dominated internet since the late 1990s. The Chinese government has implemented strict regulations and censorship measures, creating a separate digital market with its own set of tech giants.

The rivalry between the US and China extends beyond corporate interests to political and geopolitical realms. The case of Huawei, a major Chinese telecommunications company, exemplifies the tensions between the two countries over technology and national security concerns.

As the competition for shaping the future of the internet intensifies, third countries are increasingly forced to choose sides. China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region is growing, with countries like Cambodia embracing Chinese-style digital authoritarianism.

The battle for control and influence over the internet is far from over, with both the US and China vying for dominance in the digital realm. The implications of this divide are far-reaching, impacting not just technology but also geopolitics and global norms.