Canada’s Digital Sovereignty is Under Threat:
A National Strategy is Imperative

Canada’s digital economy contributes more than CDN$220 billion annually to Canada’s GDP and employs 2.4 million Canadians. This sector’s growth has virtually outpaced the overall economy over the last decade. The digital economy is Canada’s most valuable sector; however, the lack of sovereign computing capacity leaves this sector vulnerable to the interests of foreign actors. Compared to other G7 countries, Canada has the least publicly available computing infrastructure.

For Craig McLellan, CEO of ThinkOn, protecting data security and data sovereignty in Canada has been a long-standing concern that requires attention. As the founder of one of the largest Canadian-owned cloud services providers, McLellan has championed greater data sovereignty within Canada over the last decade. He is especially concerned that Canadian data not be subjected to or exploited by foreign intervention. Over the last several years, McLellan has often spoken about the challenges of operating an independent cloud services company in Canada, within a global cloud market that is heavily dominated by the three leading US-based tech companies — Amazon, Google and Microsoft.