Digital Imperialism and the Geopolitical Asymmetry of National Sovereignty

Öz

This article examines the political and institutional mechanisms through which digital imperialism influences national sovereignty within the context of contemporary global geopolitical realities. Unlike classical forms of imperialism, it demonstrates that digital imperialism exerts indirect yet systematic pressure on the decision-making autonomy of states, not through physical occupation, but through information flows, global digital infrastructures, artificial intelligence systems, and algorithmic governance. For the first time, the article conceptually defines digital imperialism as a mechanism that directs national sovereignty, political decision-making capacity, and public consciousness through technological hegemony. Adopting a comparative political-theoretical approach, the study also analyzes the impact of the dominant Western technological model and alternative Asian digital surveillance strategies on state governance capacity. The findings reveal that digital imperialism represents a new geopolitical threat that undermines sovereignty not by open military force, but through silent, institutionalized mechanisms of technological dependency.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• digital imperialism
• national sovereignty
• artificial intelligence; digital hegemony; information flows; algorithmic control
• global technology corporations

Dijital Emperyalizm ve Ulusal Egemenliğin Jeopolitik Asimetrisi

Öz

Bu makale, günümüz küresel jeopolitik gerçeklikleri bağlamında dijital emperyalizmin ulusal egemenlik üzerindeki siyasi ve kurumsal etki mekanizmalarını incelemektedir. Klasik emperyalizm biçimlerinin aksine, dijital emperyalizmin devletlerin karar alma özerkliği üzerinde doğrudan fiziksel işgal yoluyla değil; bilgi akışları, küresel dijital altyapılar, yapay zekâ sistemleri ve algoritmik yönetişim üzerinden dolaylı fakat sistematik baskı kurduğu ortaya konulmaktadır. Çalışmada ilk kez dijital emperyalizm, teknolojik hegemonya aracılığıyla ulusal egemenliği, siyasi karar alma kapasitesini ve kamu bilincini yönlendiren bir mekanizma olarak kavramsal düzeyde tanımlanmaktadır. Karşılaştırmalı siyasi-teorik bir yaklaşım benimsenerek modern Batı teknolojik modelinin ve Asya’daki alternatif dijital gözetim stratejilerinin ulus-devletlerin yönetişim kapasitelerine etkileri analiz edilmektedir. Bulgular, dijital emperyalizmin egemenliği açık askeri güçle değil, sessiz ve kurumsallaşmış teknolojik bağımlılık mekanizmaları yoluyla zayıflatan yeni bir jeopolitik tehdit formu olduğunu göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• dijital emperyalizm; ulusal egemenlik; yapay zekâ; dijital hegemonya; bilgi akışları; algoritmik kontrol; küresel teknoloji şirketleri

Kaynakça

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