DIGITALSOVEREIGNTY:STAKESANDMEANS

LecturebyMrPierreBellanger
Atthe
INSTITUTEOFADVANCEDSTUDIESINNATIONALDEFENSE

(INSTITUTDESHAUTESTUDESDEDFENSENATIONALE)

13April2015

Thankyou,General,foryourinvitation.

Goodevening.Itisanhonourtobeabletospeaktoyouthiseveninginsuchasetting.

I am here to talk about digital sovereignty that is, how to control our destiny on IT
networks.

Without really realising it, we are living through a time of exceptional gravity. The most
dangerousdiseasesarethosewhichonlyplagueuswhenitistoolate.Thatiswhereweare
today.

ThisiswherenationaldefenceissuesareconsideredanddiscussedsoImusttrytoensure
thatmywordsmeetsuchhighexpectations.

FromthefreeradiostationsofthepastwhichhadmerunningaboutontheroofsofParisto
standinghereinthisamphitheatre,thecommitmenthasalwaysbeenthesame:thestruggle
forfreedom.

Theequationissimple:thelawguaranteesfreedom;sovereigntyguaranteesthelaw.

Ifyouareinterestedindigitalsovereignty,youquicklycometounderstandthatthiscountry
hasbeenwoundedatitsveryheart.Itisenslavedandbleedinglikeananimal.

ThenIremembertheamazingcourageofourelderstogiveusthisfreecountry.Nowitsour
turn.

ControllingourdestinyonITnetworks:itsacomplicatedbusiness.Weneedsomethingto
guideus.

Weneedacompass.

One exists in the form of three words which have particular resonance here: Do not
submit.Thiswasthemottoofthatgreatsoldier,JeandeLattredeTassigny.Thiswillbeour
course.Dontsubmittoawillotherthanourownincyberspace.AssertourRepubliconthe
networks.

Tobegin,letstakestockofthechangewhichisnowunderway.
TheperformanceofITsystemsdoubleseveryyear,atconstantprices.
Thisisanincreaseataconstantmultiplyingfactorwhoseeffectscontinuetoaccelerateasa
consequence.Thiskindofgrowth,knownasexponential,hasneverbeenseenbeforeinthe
historyoftechnology.
Between1995and2015thecombinedprogressofmicroprocessors,storageandbandwidth
havemultipliedthepowerofmachinesbyamillion.
Butitistheprogressofsoftwareexecutionspeedaboveallwhichtakesusintounchartered
territory:softwareprogresses43timesfasterthanamachine.
So over the last twenty years, the combined progress of software and machines has been
multipliedby43thousandbillionandwilldoublein12months.
Exponentialgrowthismultipliedbyasecondexponentialfactor:thenetworkeffect.
The network effect rules that the value of a machine is proportional to the square of the
numberofmachinestowhichitisconnected.
In other words: the value of a telephone depends on the number of people with whom it
allowsustocommunicate.
Thislawisanexponentialmachineforcreatingvalue.
If ten machines are connected then each one is worth 102, i.e. 100. If an 11th machine is
addedtheneachoneisworth112,i.e.121.A21%increaseinvaluejustbyaddingasingle
machine!
Thenumberofmachinesanddevicesconnectedtothenetworkhasrisenfrom200millionin
2000to15billionin2015anditwillbe40billionby2020.
Itisbreathtaking.
Anditisbeyondourcomprehension.
Wedontknowhowtovisualiseexponentialfactors.Takeanexample:foldapieceofpaper
intwoandtheninfour,fiftytimesinarow.Howthickisthefoldedpieceofpaper?
Theanswerissurprising:114millionkilometres,i.e.ofthedistancefromtheEarthtothe
Sun.
Whateffectisthisaccelerationhavingonoursociety?
Activities, projects and investments seek the best return, i.e. the fastest increase in value.
Thatiswhatthenetworkeffectgivesthem.
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Thenetworkeffectreconfiguressociety:ITmachinesareconnectedtoanetwork.Networks
of machines are connected to a network: the Internet. Documents are connected to a
network:theWeb.Peopleareconnectedtoanetwork:socialnetworks.Andnowobjectsare
connected.
Everyday,thenetworkofITnetworks,theInternet,becomesmoreproductive,efficientand
fasteranditisbecomingthegreatconcentratorofvalue.
It therefore captures the value of society, of every industry and every service because it
replacesthemwithbetterproductivity,betterreturnsand,aboveall,betterservice.
Thenetworkeffectcanalsobeappliedtohumanity.Threebillionpeopleareconnected,40%
of the planet already and five billion areanticipated by 2020. Never have so many people
across the world had access to so many possibilities, choices, information and
communication.NeverhassuchITpowerbeenavailabletoeveryonethroughanetwork.
Our own emancipation is equal to the square of all the emancipations to which it is
connected. Human beings are a constant future. The improvement of each connected
person increases our own value and that of all the others. So humanity can make an
unprecedentedevolutionalleapforwardwiththenetworksomethingwhichwillchangeus
all,intimatelyandcollectively.
Thenetworkisourchance.
Theindustrialrevolutiongaveustheengine,electricityandtheresourceoffossilfuels.The
digitalrevolutionisgivingustheprocessor,informationandtheresourceofdata.
Letmeexplainthislastpoint.
Welackinformation.Suchadeficiencywillseemlikemadnessinthefuture.Howdidtheydo
it?Whatdidtheydotofindasolutiontouncertainty?Oneanswer:waste.
It is like the example of an escalator running constantly until, when it is provided with a
photoelectriccell,itonlystartswhenauserarrives.
Ourentiresocietyhasfunctionedlikethatescalatorrunninginanemptyroom.
Sincefoodrequirementsarenotassessedandwedonothaveinformationabouteachstage
ofdistribution,halfofallfoodislostbetweenthepitchforkandthetablefork.Athirdof
petrol consumed is wasted trying to find a place to park and therefore because of the
absence of communication between cars on the road and empty spaces. France spends
morethan30billioneurosayearonpetrolforcars.Dynamicparkinginformationisworth
10billioneuros,11%oftheStatebudgetdeficit.
The squandering of human lives has no measurable cost. According to some research, on
hospitalisedpatientsalonetheuseofdatawouldreducemortalityby20%.
In this century, we are changing the model. We are no longer finding a solution to
uncertaintythroughwastebutthroughinformation.Thegaininproductivityandresources
atalllevelsisimmense.EveryState,everyorganisation,everycompanyandeveryindividual
candobetterandmorewithlessthankstomoredata.
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For France, if generalised waste is the equivalent of 10% of our economy that represents
about200billionayear.Thisisaconservativeestimateofthevalueofourdata.
Greater optimisation through data will mean that this lost and sterile wealth can be
allocatedtoimprovinggrowth,qualityoflife,theenvironmentandthecollectivewellbeing.
Weallknowaboutthefourdimensions:length,area,volumeandtime.Hereisanadditional
dimension:information.
Todaysmuteandinertenvironmentisgoingtoundergoametamorphosis.
Toimagineit,replacethelabelsandinscriptionsprintedoneverythingarounduswithsmart
captors, emitters and receivers, constantly communicating and mutually and permanently
readjusting.
Whatconnectsthemallisthenetwork.
Thenetworkisthenextstepofhumanprogress.Itisthekeytosolvingthesocial,economic
andecologicalchallengesfacingus.Ourexhaustedsocietiesarestuckinaculdesac.Hereis
arevolutionofimmeasurablemagnitude.Thisishowweescapefromourendlesscrisis.
Thenetworkisourchance.
There will only be the network and the network is everything. What is connected has a
chancetogrow;whatisntconnectedwilldisappear.
Herethenisthenetworkinitsmutantmajesty.Butwhatisthestrategyattheheartofits
ownevolution?
At the heart of the network, value migrates towards the maximal return: software, the
leadingdigitalindustry.
Andthisindustryisdominatedbyanewcategoryofbusiness:softwarenetworksorSONETs.
SONETs concentrate the two exponential factors of the Internet (IT progress and the
networkeffect)fortheirownbenefitbymakingthemevenfaster.
Thisishowtheydoit:theybeginwithasuccessfulserviceandthenjoinupwithothers.Here
then is how SONETs manage to have more than a hundred services coordinated between
them:searchengine,mapping,email,diary,translator,addressbook,socialnetwork,video
platform,onlinecommerce,paymentintermediary,etc.
Eachserviceiscoordinatedwiththeothersandmakesthemmoreusefulandmorepractical.
Ameetingtimeinanemailmessagetakesustoadiaryconnectedtoanaddressbookwhich
opens a geolocated map indicating how long the journey will take and moving a meeting
backaccordinglybywarningtheotherparticipants.
Thus,thenetworkeffectisalsoappliedtoservices.
Oneservicecombinedwithahundredothersisworth1002,i.e.10,000.Eventheverybest
competingbutisolatedservicewillbecrushed.
Theservicesalliancethendevelopsitsowninfrastructurestobemorerelevantandfaster.
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Then, to bring their own machines closer to the users and therefore improve quality and
speed,SONETsinvestintelecommunicationsnetworks.
Then,thebestservicerequirescontrolofthesoftwarewhichisdrivingtheusersmachine:
itsoperatingsystem.Toensurethatabluedotonasatellitemapmoves,youneedthebest
accesstothemachinesGPScaptor.
Finally,integrationoftheoperatingsystemanditshostmachineistheultimateguaranteeof
the best service. Consequently, SONETs make or control their own terminals, i.e. all the
machines.
Operatingsystemsarenotlimitedtothetraditionalofficemachineoramobiledevice.They
can be found everywhere: in the car, carried inside a piece of clothing or bag, in all white
goodsandaudiovisualitems,includingurbaninfrastructure,andtheyallcommunicatefora
betteroverallservice.
Thenetworkeffectisalsovalidforoperatingsystems.
Thevalueofanoperatingsystemisproportionaltothenumberofoperatingsystemsofthe
samefamilytowhichitisconnected.Hereagain,thedynamicisunrivalled.
So SONETs invest in services, infrastructure, telecommunications, satellites, operating
systems,mobiles,robots,cars,watches,dronesandsmartthermostats.
Finally,thenetworkeffectisalsovalidfordata.
The value of a piece ofdata is proportional to the numberof pieces of data to which it is
connected.
Thisiscalledcontextualisation.Informationwhichisinterconnectedincreasestherelevance
ofeachpieceofinformationandconsequentlyitsvalue.
Ifyoufoundthewordmummyinmycommunications,youwouldneedtocombineitwith
other information to know whether I was talking about my family or Ancient Egypt, and
therefore,consequently,givetheinformationvalue.
Thus,themoredatasomeonehas,themoreanynewdataismorevaluableforhimthanfor
other people. Here again, this approach leads to an invincible monopoly of information
throughthenetworkeffectalone.
Services, operating systems and data combine their network effects at the summit of the
two exponential factors of the Internet. The resulting power is without equivalent in
economichistory.
NothinghaspreparedusfortheinfluenceandpoweroftheseSONETs.
Nothinghaspreparedusforthedominationofthenetwork.
Youhavetogobacktothe17thcenturytofindatwofoldeventofthesamescale.

Inthe17thcenturytheoceanbecamevitaltoanationspower.LiketheInternet,itwasnot
atraditionalterritorybutratheralinkbetweenthem.ItsdominationbyEngland,desiredby
QueenElizabethI,wouldchangetheworldshistory.
In the 17th century new forms of enterprise appeared: the Indies companies. They were
revolutionary because they prefigured joint stock companies which gave them access to
unlimitedresources.Theyweremultinationals,establishedinseveralcountries.Theywere
thepioneersofthenewcapitalmodel.Finally,theyadministeredcoloniesandwentsofaras
tocreatearmies.
Fewcouldhaveimaginedthenthescopeofthisnewkindofeconomicstructure.Today,70
ofthetop100worldeconomicentitiesareprivatecompanies;30areStates.
SONETsaretothiscenturywhattheIndiescompanieswereinthepast.Theyaregoingto
changetheworld.
The Indies companies were hybrid creatures, both private and also deeply integrated into
theirrespectiveStates.ThissymbiosisandthiskindofapproacharewhatuniteSONETsand
theirrespectiveStatesoforigintoday.
AndtopofthelistaretheAmericanSONETsbecausenotonlyistheInternetanAmerican
initiative, it is under the control of the State Department of Commerce. The latter just
delegates management of the protocol, domain names and root servers, the very ones
whichdeterminealltheaddressesoftheconnectedmachines...
Today, the Internet is an IT extension of the United States and is under its absolute
domination:thelawgovernsbehaviourinthephysicalworld;intheimmaterialworldcode
determinesexistenceitself.
ThissymbiosisinvolvestheentireStateapparatus,includingitsintelligenceservices.WhenI
firstpublishedthisin2011,sucharapprochementseemedexaggerated.Therevelationsof
EdgarSnowden,aformerAmericanintelligenceagent,providedtheconfirmationtwoyears
later.
In the United States there is no real distinction between political and economic interests,
industrialintelligenceandmilitaryintelligence.Therearemanyoverlaps.Itisanetworkof
communication, sometimes competing and conflicting but without appeal and legitimate,
answeringtothesovereigntyoftheAmericanState.
Thefederalbudgetsetasideforintelligenceisallegedlyonehundredbilliondollarsayear
withmorethan10%devotedtoIT.
Research funds and benevolent investment funds which guarantee the other investors,
generouslysupportcompanieswhichhaveanystrategicinterest.TheCIAfund,InQTel,has
alreadysupportedmorethanahundrednewtechnologycompanies.
Arealidentityglobalsocialnetwork,aweaponofmassdigitalisation,canthereforeburna
holeinabilliondollarsbeforeitevenhasasolidbusinessplan.

The Defence Department, meanwhile, has been the main investor in innovation in the
UnitedStatessincetheColdWar.Thisisthefinancialandlogisticalmediumofallgrowthin
theAmericanITindustry.
ThePentagonspendsapproximately60billioneurosayearonresearchanddevelopment,
irrigatinganecosystemofthousandsofITcompaniesofallsizes.
ThefamousSiliconValleyisthevisiblepartofaveritablemilitarydigitalcomplexinwhich
theStateauthorities,thearmyandtheintelligenceserviceshaveinvestedseveralhundreds
ofbillionsofdollars.
Biometric identification, robotics, drones, virtual reality, combat simulation, artificial
intelligence, geolocation, satellite mapping, vocal recognition, cloud computing, brain
modelling, captors, big data, cyber security, fraud detection, encryption: all these sectors
andmanyothersaresupportedwithoverlappingfundingandresearchfromthearmyand
companies.
Without taking anything away from the amazingly talented American IT and Internet
entrepreneurs, their mythical garage is actually located on the flight deck of an aircraft
carrier.
ShouldtheAmericansbecriticised?Certainlynot.Theyareright.Andwewoulddothesame
thingintheirplace,inourownway.
BecausefortheAmericansthetimehascomeforurgencyandsurvival.
The Internet is not adding to the world we know; it is replacing it. The entire economy is
reconfiguredaroundthenetwork.
Thetransitionisterrible.TheInternetdestroysfourjobsforeveryoneitcreates.Andonly
oneintenjobscreatedisaqualifiedposition.20%oftaskswillbeautomatedbetweennow
and 2025 and 47% of jobs will be replaced by network machines between now and 2035.
Thisisaveritableearthquake.
Whatglobalisationdidtotheworkingclasses,theInternetwilldotothemiddleclasses.
It is therefore imperative for them to direct the system of production at controlling the
networkanditstechnologyinordertoguaranteetheirbenefitsandoutsourcethelosses.
Here:skills,ideas,capitalandvaluerepatriatedfromeverywhere.There:unemploymentand
poverty. At home they are app designers; with us they are taxi drivers. The qualified jobs
havetobeimportedandthedestroyedjobsexported.InSanFrancisco:socialnetworks;in
Bordeaux:socialworkers.
Secondly,theAmericansarethenetworksleadingpowerbuttheyarenottheonlyones.
Although they have achieved an organic alliance with the network offering the world its
open,imperialandmercantileapproach,theyarenowfacingagiantwhichhasalsoachieved
thisalliance:China.

China has treated the Internet like the Mongol invasions: by protecting itself with a great
wallafilteringmembranewhichcareslittleforpublicfreedomsandthenbydeveloping
itsownSONETs,newgiants,borninagreenhouseanddestinedforworldhegemony.
China is expecting a violent demographic shock. It has to move as quickly as possible to
prepare for it. The appropriation of intellectual property, the size of its market and the
docility of its population is no longer enough. It needs the speed of the network. China
hasntbeentheworldsleadingpowersince1840.Aftertwocenturiesinthewilderness,its
expansionontothenetworkwillsignalitsreturn.
Therefore, although much of Asia is closed off to the Americans, they still have Europe. It
representsaquarteroftheworldsGDP,liketheUnitedStates.ToholdthePacificfront,the
Atlanticbackyardwillserveasalarder.Europewillactasanabsorberofthedigitalshockfor
theAmericaneconomy.
Hereagain,theUnitedStatesisactingnodifferentlyfromus.Didntourcolonialempireplay
thesameroleduringtheFirstWorldWar?
Finally, America, like other nations, is now facing a dispersed, changing, rapid and
redoubtablethreatwhichisbothautonomousandnetworked.Earlydetectionofdangeris
becomingapriority.Controllingthenetworkistheanswer.
Only the Internet is capable of providing mass data updated every minute. You cant win
against a network without being a network yourself. Only the network can provide a new
abilitytoactwhichwasunimaginablebefore.Thenetworkisbecominganationalsecurity
priority.
AmericanSONETsintegratethisapproachwhatevertheyclaimtobe.Defendingthecountry,
concern about their people, the rivalry with the Chinese and the terrorist threat make
sovereigntyanaturalimperative.ThePatriotActisthelegalmaterialisationofthis.
In parallel, SONETs are gaining power. They are starting to guarantee identity. Some
American car hire firms check profiles on social networks which they consider to be more
reliablethaneasilyforgedpapers.Onlinecommercialplatformstakeacommissiononeach
transaction. Like a tax. Some services alliances are testing their own electronic currency,
supported by pockets which are often deeper than those in many countries. Finally, some
serviceshavetheirownlawsknownasGeneralConditionsofUse.
Theevictionofaplatform,beingbumpeddownontothesecondpageofasearchlistorthe
cancellationofasocialnetworkarethedigitalequivalentofextradition,seizureofproperty,
prisonandthedeathpenalty.
Identity,tax,currency,laws,prisonandthedeathpenalty:thesearetheStateprerogatives
whichhavebeentakenoverbythenetwork.
Further,withturnoverof65billiondollarsaSONETlikeAmazonhasincomewhichisabove
theGDPofhalftheworldscountries.
Infact,thisisthenextstep:networksbecomeStates.

TheAmericanState,anditsSONETswhichhavebecomeStates,willthusformanewfederal,
multidimensional, physical and immaterial State. There are already 50 states dont be
surprisediftherearentafewmoreinthefuture.
Andwhataboutothercountries?
TheopenState/NetworkalliancestrategyisnotonlyfollowedbytheUnitedStates:South
KoreaandIsraelhavesharedit,eachinitsownway,withexceptionalsuccess.
The closed State/Network alliance strategy incarnated by China is also used by Russia but
withouttheresourceofanimperialapproachthusfar.
Therestoftheworld,theThirdInternet,hasnotachievedthealliancebetweenthenetwork
andtheState.SouthEastAsia,Japan,Australia,Canada,India,theMiddleEast,Africa,Lain
America and Europe are getting left behind. Some exceptional companies succeed despite
theobstacles.ButtheyareveryvulnerablebecausetheydependonSONETssomuch.
Thisistherealityofoursituation.
Untilnow,wehavenotunderstooditandconsequentlyoureffortshavebeenbadlydirected.
While SONETs were becoming powers sustained by their States, we accepted the outof
datemythologyofthepromisinglittlestartup.
Andtherefore,whiletheU.S.SixthFleetstartsmoving,wearegoingintorapturesorganising
sailingcompetitions...Ok,itsacaricaturebutunfortunatelyitsnotsofarfromthetruthof
ourindustrialpolicy.
Secondly,whileSONETsarethemotorsofvalueourpublicinvestmentsarebeingprioritised
intoinfrastructure.Fibrewillbeeverywhere.Thatsgoodbutonlyiftheservicesusingitare
also ours and return some of the values of the backbone of the country. Unless we have
agreementswiththeCaymanIslands,thatwillnotbethecase.
Suchoutofstepinitiativeswillnotsaveusfromaverydarkfuture.
Thisiswhatwecanexpect:
TheproductivityofthematerialworldinFranceandEuropewillnolongerbecompetitive
comparedtotheimmaterialultracompetitivenessoftheAmericannetworks.Consequently,
thenetworkwillreplacereality.Societyasawhole,itseconomy,itsresources,itsjobsand
itsdatawillmigrateontothenetwork.
SONETscannotbestoppedbyanyobstacles.Theironlylimitationisarivalcoalition.
Thus,their operatingsystemsareinallmachinesanddisseminatedintelligences.Theywill
form a network of myriad variation with the same software hardcore present in every
networkterminal,capturing,calculatingandcommunicatingendlessly.
This periphery network of intelligences is, de facto, the operating system of the network
itself.
Itsroleistheequivalentofthesubconscious.
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Mostofourcerebralfunctionsfallundertheradarofourperceptionandrationalisation.Our
nervoussystemendlesslycapturesandprocessesinformationunbeknownsttous.
Thenetworkisthenewsubconscious,alwaysinmotion.
Andthissubconsciouswillgenerateanewconsciousnessonthescaleofacountry,givingus
themeansandthevisibilitytopilotanddirectnationaldestiny.Itistheconsciouscountry.
Thenetworkwillbethenextsteptowardssovereigntybutwewillonlyunderstandthistoo
late.
Whatwillbethefirstconsequences?
In the future, all objects will be connected to a SONET and will no longer be designed
withouttheinterconnectionandassociatedservicesonwhichtheirvalueisbased.
Letsconsiderafewkeysectors:
Theautomobileindustry:
Valuemovesfromthecartothecarssoftware.Youcanchangethebodyworkeasilybutnot
the software. An automobile industry dependant on the SONET licence pays it from its
margin.Thus,thePCindustryseesitsprofitstransferredtoMicrosoft.
Withoutamargin,theindustrynolongerinnovatesandcannotwithstandthecompetitionof
automaticvehicleswithSONETswhichbenefitfromconsiderableinvestment.
Finally,theSONETsupervisesthetrafficwhichitcananticipate,knowingtheusualroutesof
everydriver.Itthereforenaturallytakescontrolofurbantrafficsignals.
Telecommunications:
TodaystelecommunicationsoperatorsareSONETs.Todayscompaniesstillbearingtheold
name are replaced and become bandwidth and interconnection suppliers with low added
valueinlowdensityareas.
Roboticsandconnectedobjects:
ThisisnotnewvirginterritoryforapossiblerevengebytheSONETlosers.Itistheverysame
triumphantSONETwhichistobefoundeverywhere.Notoneobjectoronerobotwillescape.
Construction:
No connected houses without a SONET which coordinates energy purchases, water
consumptionofthehomeandrelationswithallthehomessmartobjectsinrealtime.
Themedia:
DifficulttocompetewiththerelevanceofSONETadvertising,itsproductionresourcesand
thepowerofitsaudiovisualplatform.Afewgroupingsemergeandresistduetotheirsize.
Mostbrandsareabsorbedbyservicealliancesseekingdifferentiationbetweenthemselves.

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Banking:
SONETsaccumulatesomuchidentifieddatatheycandetecttheprofileswiththelowestrisk.
Theyofferloansatrateswhichareinaccessiblefortheircompetitorsandcreamoffthebest
debtorsfromthemarket.Insodoing,theycompletethedemutualisationofbankingriskand
leave traditional banks with the uncertain clients for whom interest rates explode. Finally,
SONETsintegratepaymentswhichtheycombinewiththeircommercialplatformsforunique
and personalised advantages integrating or replacing the old system. The current banking
systembecomesoutdated.
Insurance:
Thesamedemutualisationapproachisatwork.TheSONEThasthedatatoinsuretheleast
risky profiles at exceptional rates. What percentage of demutualisation will lead to the
collapseofourinsurancesystem?
Healthcare:
Captorsquantifyusandknowusbetterthananyone,evenourselves.Healthdatabecomes
keyforallhealthcareprocedures.MedicalfilesareabsorbedbytheSONET.Healthinsurance,
weakenedfromallsides,willbedemutualised.
Services:
Services become applications using freelancers or companies chosen on the basis of the
lowestprice. Theservicepurchaserdoesnotknowwhattheserviceproviderreceivesand
viceversa. The margin is in the intermediation. The margin is in the application. Many
occupations disintegrate and have to compete with everyone desire to work, to rent, to
houseandtotransport.Anapplitariatwillbecreated,thenewprecariousproletariatofthe
applications.
IftheSONETisforeign,itwilltakewhatitcanfromeachnationwithaslittleaspossiblein
return.Thecountrywillbebleddry.
No more loans, insurance, education, unions or social security. SONETs will break up any
edificeofsolidarity.
Upstream of the network, here (but especially elsewhere) the winners will consists of an
elite with increased value and therefore wealth explodes. Downstream, here, a majority
competing with automatons make up the underclass of a subsistence society drowning in
poverty.
Itgetsworse.
Our country no longer has any secrets. We have a nice parade on 14th July but our proud
nationisincapableofguaranteeingthesecrecyofcorrespondence.
All our information is created, stored, processed and transits through machines, systems,
programmesandnetworksunderforeignsovereignty.

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There is no private life without secrets. There is no intellectual property or competition

without secrets. There is no diplomacy without secrets. There is no strategy or defence
withoutsecrets.
What if we could access all of another countrys information and communications? Who
wouldhesitatetouseittohelpourcompanieswinandsavejobs?Whowouldhesitateto
useittobetterdefendouselvesandsavelives?
Because it is possible to use our secrets. They are used. To take advantage and therefore
weakenus.Itisagameofpokerandoneoftheplayerscanseealltheotherscards.
Thisforcedtransparencyisanabsolutetragedy.
Butitdoesntendthere.Thesenetworksanswertotheirownrulesandcanalsoencrypt,i.e.
make their traffic and their information secret. And here communications on national
territorybecomeopaquetothemostlegitimateofsecurityinterceptions.
But thats not all. Information can be manipulated from a distance. A page of calculations
canbealteredrandomly,losingmonthsofresearch.Anengineeringprojectcanbefakedby
afewhundredsofdegrees,justenoughtomakeitfail.Messagesandphotoscanappearand
disappear. False alerts can be launched on mobile phones. Malicious information can be
spreadintentionallyonalargescaleonsocialnetworksandsearchengines.
Fromamilitarypointofview,thebattlefieldshouldbeseenasanetofmillionsofpiecesof
microintelligenceinanetwork.Itwillbeimpossibletoactwithouttalkingtothisnetwork
constantly in detail and in confidence. What if the network plays against us? We will be
blocked:noresources,novisibility,lostinahallucinatorystate.Whatdoyoudowhenyour
ownnervoussystembecomesyourenemy?
Finally, speed is essential here. Access to all machines and all powers of calculation is
essential.Themoredatayouhaveandthegreateryourabilitytoanalyseit,thefasteryou
goandthemoreyouslowtimedown.
Aflyseyemanages200imagesasecond,eighttimesfasterthanahumanbeing.Whenit
rains,dropsfalleighttimesslowerrelativelyforaflythanahumanbeing.Theflyweavesin
andoutbetweenthedrops.Theacquisitionandspeedofdataprocessingslowsdownthe
world.
Onlybyslowingdowntheworldthroughprocessingwillwebeabletocompensateforthe
flood of information during largescale action and therefore provide the means for
anticipationanddecision.
Withoutcontrollingthenetwork,initiativewillbefortheothersideandthefogofwarwill
beonoursidealone.
Viamobiletelephones,meanwhile,thepopulationmustbeunderstoodtobelikeadynamic
networkof dozensof millionsof pocketsupercomputers.Theyareunderthecontrolofa
foreignpowerandwecanonlycommunicatewithourowncitizenswithitssupport.

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An entire society can be disorganised via a keyboard and a screen. Flight paths, cash
machines, electricity networks, traffic lights, Internet access, telecommunications,
information sites and apps are targets. Drones can sow panic and a thousand other
disruptions which we cannot even imagine can be unleashed on everyone by poorly
identified players, even more easily because we no longer have a hold over our own
networks.
Finally,soldiers.Liketherestofus,everysoldierwillhaveadigitaldoublemadeupofallthe
informationcollectedabouthim.
This immaterial and intimate being shall be the sudden hostage of another power. Such
vulnerabilityexploitedbymassalgorithmscandisruptentireunits.
In this context, the conventional military confrontation will not be the first strike but the
coupdegrace.
Weareonourknees.
Nowwemustriseup.
Lets begin with President Obamas declaration in February 2015: We have owned the
Internet. Our companies have created it, expanded it, perfected it in ways that they cant
compete.
Thisiswhereweneedtobeclearandreturntotheinitialcompass:dontsubmit.
We have nothing against our American brothers, allies during the most heroic periods, a
great innovative and pioneering democracy conquering the new world. But we want our
libertyofdestinywithouthavingtoaskanyone,includingourfriends.
Secondly,wearenotfightingagainstthefuture.Wearefightingtochooseit.Ourenemyis
nottheworldwhichiscomingbutourweaknessatmakingitours.
Let us recognise too with admiration the genius of these American companies, the
marvellousservicesandproductstheyproposeandwhichchangeourlivesforthebetter.
ThebasisofthedebateisnotthedigitalpoweroftheUnitedStatesbutourunprecedented
abdication.
Istherestilltimetoact?Theanswerisyes.
OurprevioussovereigntyiscalledintoquestionbynetworkswhicharebecomingStates.
OurnationhasalreadywitnessedanequivalentchallengeintheMiddleAgeswiththeriseof
the towns. The kingdom had to be redefined. The Capetians did this. The concept of
territoriality, law, citizenship and economic cooperation in the towns became that of the
entirecountry.
Thatcanguideourresponse.Asanationwemustorganicallyintegratetheapproachofthe
network.WemustbethefirstStatewhichbecomesanetwork.

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WhatdoesthisState/Networklooklike?
The question of territory is immediately posed. What is a territory in an immaterial and
globaluniverse?
In cyberspace the State is the operating system and the territory is encryption. Basically,
sovereigntyisthecode.
Letmeexplain.
Whoever controls the network of interconnected operating systems controls the global
network,itsaccess,rulesanduse.
Nothing can be done without it. It is the new incarnation of the State. Its IT code is the
equivalentoftheConstitution:alllaws,likeallprogrammes,dependonitandstemfromit.
For our country, the continuation of the Republic in cyberspace is a sovereign operating
system.
Wewillcomebacktothis.
First,encryption.
In cyberspace the immaterial territory consists of all the information generated on the
physical territory and by citizens. All this data forms an integral and coherent whole. The
sovereignty of this whole is guaranteed by its encryption because it means that its access
andusecanbecontrolled.Encryptionmakesthissetofdatasovereignterritory.
The territory is the encrypted data. And each duly encrypted piece of data is part of our
sovereignty. This is already the case for the dollar which remains under American judicial
controlwhereveritisfoundandwhoeverholdsit.
Thus,anationisnolongeronlydefinedbyitsphysicalterritorybutbyallitsencrypteddata
incirculationacrosstheplanet.Thisextensionofsovereigntyintoothercountriesisthevery
definition of empire. On the Internet there are no physical nations but rather competing
immaterialempires.Ratherthanservitude,thereisnowadutyofempire.
Sovereignty is the code: the code of the operating system on which the State and its
constitutionarebased;thecodeoftheencryptionofthedatawhichdefinestheterritory.
WehaveagainaStateandaterritory.Thefundamentalsofsovereigntyareback.
From there, everything changes. The sovereign operating system is a public and positive
platformforalldigitalactivities.Itisneitheradictatornorapredator,notcompetingwith
the ecosystem of the thousands of private companies, services and industries which will
dependonit.Asforthedata,itiscollectedandmanagedunderourdemocraticcontroland
anyvalueresultingfromitsprocessingisreinjectedbackintotheeconomy.
The social transformation engendered by the digital world will find the direction and
resourcestodirectitselftowardsapositivescenarioandsupportthetransition.Confidence
willreturnonthenetworkanditsuses.

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Finally, our security and defence will rediscover the bases and means for their missions.
Whether this is in an amicable relationship of strength with our allies or the ability to act
againstourenemies,wewillbenothingifwearenotadigitalpower.
Howdowebecomeasovereigndigitalpower?
Hereisa3pointplan:
First,aDigitalSovereigntyCommissionwillbecreated.
The Government has already taken the digital factor into consideration via a junior
ministerial post, investment policies, cyber positions in several State ministries and by
strengthening the security of the information systems of the most critical operators. But
these steps are hindered by the absence of coordination and, further, no department is
specificallyinchargeofpromotingdigitalsovereignty.
The Digital Sovereignty Commission is based on the example of the Atomic Energy
Commissioncreatedbydecreeon18October1945.
Its mission is to prepare the policies guaranteeing our digital sovereignty and to follow up
theirimplementation.
Under the authority of the Prime Minister, it is, for the digital world, the civil counterpart
andpartneroftheGeneralSecretariatofDefenceandNationalSecurity.
Itmakesinterministerialproposalstoestablishprojectswhichcouldencourageourdigital
sovereignty.
It works closely with the InterMinisterial Delegation on Economic Intelligence and the
GeneralSecretariatforEuropeanaffairsinordertostudytheinternationaltextswhichcould
haveanimpactonourcompetitivenessandourdigitalsecurity.
Finally, it oversees the creation of the sovereign operating system and the drafting of the
sovereigndataencryptionprotocols.
Secondly,thesovereignoperatingsystem.
Aswehaveseen,thesovereignoperatingsystem,orSOS,istheheartofourdigitalRepublic.
ThisoperatingsystemisconsideredsovereignbecauseitisthecontinuationoftheRepublic,
itsvalues,itsrightsanditsdutiesonthenetwork.HerethelawandITcodeareone.
ItisthebackboneofourtransformationintoaState/Network.
It is not about restricting the presence of existing SONETs or constraining the public. It is
aboutbeingbetter.Betterforservicebusinessesandmachinemanufacturerswhowilluseit
andbetterforusers.
ItisnotaboutimitatingcurrentSONETseither.Theirprogress,theirpower,thesupportand
resourcestheyhavemakethatanimpossiblegoal.Wecanonlystartafresh.

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Todays SONETs tax and devour the thirdparty companies they host and make them
vulnerable. They are all about exclusivity and exclusion. The essential services are their
property.Anyactivitieswhichdonotfallundertheircontrolaresubjugatedandtheirvalue
transferred.SONETsreplacetheInternetthatistheirapproach.
Thesovereignoperatingsystembeginsafreshbecauseitreversesthatapproachandthatis
whatwillmakeitsuccessful.
Firstly, it is public property and a public service. It has no vocation to compete with the
digital ecosystem which will choose it. The services which use it are protected by national
lawwhichguaranteestheireconomicsecurity.
AndtheSOSisguarantoroftheconfidentialityofuserdatawhichmeansthatthisdatacan
bemutualisedbetweentheserviceswhichjoinit.
Further, these services could act as shared software bricks with the ability to integrate
themselvesreciprocallyonanetwork.Thiscooperativesystemisessentialbecauseitisthe
answertothenetworkeffectofSONETs.
AnymemberoftheSOSbenefitsfromthestrengthofalltheothers.Andthisnetworkeffect
ismutualisedonanationalscale.
Fordigitalcompanies,mostofthemalreadyinexistence,itisaboutaccesstoanexceptional
and massive dynamic which makes them more competitive and gives them value for the
future.
AmappingserviceontheSOSwillmutualiseitsdataandconnectwithahotelreservation
service like or a cars onboard computer. None of the three companies will risk being
replaced by a SONET because they are themselves now part of an alliance of services and
theywillthereforeretaintheirvalue.
Thedigitaleconomyalreadyrepresentsmorethan5%ofGDPinFrance,i.e.morethanone
hundredbillioneuros.IncontestablythisisthebasisfordeploymentoftheSOS.
Forcitizens,anewInternetwillappear:anInternetyoucantrustwhichyoudontpayfor
first with your private life and then with your job. The SOS is the guarantor of safety and
constitutional freedoms. But it is above all an extremely useful Internet with a wealth of
diverseserviceswhichprivateSONETswillfinditincreasinglydifficulttofollow.
The SOS is the new centre of gravity which accelerates and strengthens initiatives now
undertakenbypublicauthoritiesinadigitalform.Itisapartnerforthedigitalmutationof
Stateadministration.Italsocallsuponuniversitiesandfreesoftwaremovement.
TheSOSmustbethebasisfordigitalidentity,themedicalfileandthesocialsecuritycard.It
mustberecommendedforallinfrastructureandallnetworks.
ThatiswhytheSOSisdesignedincollaborationwiththemilitaryandITsecurityauthorities
sothatitcanbemoreresistantandreactivetointrusions.
Forsociety,theSOSisthemediumandguaranteeofallnewactivitieswhichwillbecreated
withthenetwork.
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In the future, to get by everyone will have more calculation power, robotic performance,
logisticscapacityandinformationsourcesthanthehighestmarketcapcompanydoestoday
forthepriceofacar.
Peoplecouldsatisfymanyoftheirneedsthroughtheirrobotsbutalsoproducetheirunique
offeringsonalargescaletosellthemthroughthenetwork.Artisans,families,entrepreneurs
and artists will have no limits. New products, services, ideas and creations, currencies,
exchange modalities, networked solidarity organisations and alliances will rise up in
abundance.ThankstotheSOS,theywillenjoyfreedom.
UnlikeothersystemsanswerabletoAmericanlaw,theSOSisunderourdemocraticcontrol
andbowsbeforeourrighttovote.
Let also add that others are aware of this kind of operating system. Last August China
announcedtheimminentlaunchofCOS,theChinaOperatingSystem.
Thirdpoint:dataisasovereigncommongood
Howdoweimaginedata?Likeabagofmarbles.Eachpieceofdataisamarblewhichyou
cantakefromonebagandputinanother.
Thatisnolongertherealitytoday.Dataislikeaballofwool.Eachpieceofdataisconnected
to the others either because of its category like an address book or an appointment or
throughcorrelation:thedataofsomeservingtopredictthebehaviourofothers.Dataisno
longer solitary, i.e. only providing information about the source, but interdependent, i.e.
alsoprovidinginformationaboutsomeoneelse.
Itisnotpossibletoeitherdisassociateorindividualisethedatanetworkbecauseeachpiece
of personal data provides information about others. This is an undivided ownership which
involvesthewholepopulation.
Further, this data network is of major general interest for society as a whole in terms of
health,transport,consumption,theenvironmentandeconomiccompetitiveness.
Thedatanetworkisthereforecommonproperty:propertywhichbelongstoeveryonebut
nottoanyoneindividualinparticular.
It is common property like public health. Everyone is responsible for their health, for
themselvesbutalsoforothers.
Management of this common property must fall under a Data Agency, a guarantor of
individualandcollectiverights,aguarantorofdemocraticandsovereigncontrolandalone
abletoallowaccessanduseit.
Thus, all programmes and all devices collecting or processing citizens data must have the
approvaloftheDataAgency.
Thisapprovaldefinestheencryptionprotocols,thephysicalorlegallocationoftheservers,
fiscaldomiciliationandnonidentifyingmutualisationofthedatacollected.
Everyone could use the service or the application of their choice as usual but now in
confidencebecauseitwillbeofficiallyapproved.
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Some will say that the American companies will never accept these rules. Their general
attitudeinChinatendstodemonstratetheopposite.
And if by chance we are headed for a confrontation? Better that it take place now. We
depend on the goodwill of these services today to obtain the withdrawal of videos of
assassinationsanddecapitations.Whatwillhappeninthefuture?
Some may also raise mistrust of the State in opposition to this approach. But what isnt
guaranteed by a State? We trust the State with our health and our schools but not the
Internet?
Further, it is the natural rule of our evolved societies that all services and products made
availabletousmeetspecificnormsandapprovals.
Butwhatisclearisthatthereisnodemocracywithoutchecksandbalances.Parliamentary
monitoringisrequired,aCourtofCodesliketheCourtofAuditors.Andthecontributionof
thefreesoftwarecommunities,thenewcomponentofdigitaldemocracy.
Intheend,insteadofourdatadisappearinglikeoxygenbreathedinmoleculebymolecule
via the single consent of busy individuals it will now be recognised to be interdependent,
indivisibleandsecuredtooursovereignty.
Wehaveseenthattheencryptionofdataisessential.Theencryptionprotocolwilldissociate
theencryptionofidentitiesandinformation.Thiswillenableinformationtobemutualised
without putting identifies at risk. As an additional guarantee, the distributed database
system,orblockchain,usedforvirtualcurrenciessuchasBitcoinwillbeappliedtoourdata.
Finally, the key to deciphering identifies will only be held by the Justice Department or
accessibleforreasonsofnationalsecurity.
Letmeaddthatthecategorisationofdataisnowamyth.Youcanpredictpathologiesfrom
consumption in the supermarket. A bank loan profile is defined from communication on
social networks. Similarly, sensitive security data can be deduced from other apparently
unrelated and unprotected data. Consequently, the interdependent data network and its
encryptionrespondinfulltonationalsecurityrequirements.Wemustdesignourdatalikea
sovereigncommongood.
Herethenarethethreepathswhichareinterconnected:aDigitalSovereigntyCommission,
a sovereign operating system and interdependent data which has become a sovereign
commongood.
Further, we must not find ourselves facing the obstacle of international law when the
defence of our vital interests is at stake. You cannot fight terrorism without digital
sovereignty.
Weareinthenetworkageinanewsituation.Theatomledtotheconceptofanimpossible
war through the probable mutual destruction of the enemies. The network engenders an
impossible peace. The constant increase in the number of people connected and the
exponential increase in the power to hurt of anyone connected makes peace statistically
impossible.Weareinastateofimpossiblepeace.
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AndEurope?Europe,andfirstlyGermany,couldjoinus.Theconditionforsuccessisnotto
waitforanyonebuttobeginandbringothersinafterwards.
The European dimension will be the next stage. The G29, the working group bringing
togethernationaldataprotectionauthorities,hasinitiatedthecoordinationofsovereignties
inthisarea.Wecouldthereforebuildontheworldsleadingeconomy.
Thisapproachwillbefollowedbythewholeworld,followedbycountrieswhich,skippingthe
traditionalindustrialage,aremakingmobilenetworkstheirsourceofgrowthandprogress;
followedtoobycivilrightscampaignersincluding,andaboveall,theUnitedStateswhichis
awaitingourdigitalRepublic.
Mystartingpointwasthefreedomdefendedbyourparents.Iendwiththefreedomweowe
ourchildren.Dontsubmit.Itsinourhands.
Thankyou.

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