Digital sovereignty and organisational/national resilience

TL;DR:

🛡️ Sovereign hosting means ensuring that your data are hosted in Quebec or Canada by a local company not subject to foreign laws (e.g., the US Cloud Act).

⚖️ Why does it matter?

• Protect privacy and avoid foreign surveillance.
• Comply with Bill 25, which limits the transfer of personal data outside Quebec.
• Reduce legal, economic and technical risks.
• Strengthen customer trust and organisational resilience.

🧩 How to do it?

• Use local sovereign hosting providers.
• Choose open‑source, self‑hosted solutions (Nextcloud, Mattermost, etc.).
• Train your team and demand transparency about data handling.

👥 Who is it for?

SMEs, non‑profits, citizens: everyone is affected. Digital sovereignty is a practical lever to protect our rights, our data and our autonomy.

Digital sovereignty means the ability for a state, organisation or citizen to keep control over its digital infrastructures and data. In practice, this means ensuring that data are stored locally, accessible only under local laws and by trusted people.

Beware of misconceptions: just because your data are physically stored on Canadian soil doesn’t mean they are safe from another country’s laws.

For example, if an American company like AWS or Microsoft Azure hosts your data in Montreal, those data could still be accessible to US authorities under extraterritorial laws.

In summary, choosing sovereign hosting means retaining control of your data. This includes where they are stored, who has access, and what laws apply. For example, an organisation may host data at a local company that is not a subsidiary of a foreign giant, ensuring physical, legal and operational control.

A geopolitical and economic issue in the current context

We live in a geopolitical context where data have become a major strategic asset – some even call data the ‘new oil’. The great powers have understood this well and are fighting to control them.

• Extraterritorial laws and foreign surveillance: countries like the United States have adopted laws that allow them to access data anywhere in the world if those data are hosted or processed by a company subject to their jurisdiction. The US CLOUD Act, for instance, obliges providers to hand over data even if stored abroad.
• Trade tensions and technological independence: big tech companies (often called GAFAM) dominate the digital ecosystem and can impose their rules. There are concerns about dependence, supply chain disruptions and service interruptions due to political pressures or trade disputes.
• Privacy protection and local values: each country or region has its own laws and values concerning personal data protection. In Quebec, for example, culture places a high value on privacy and trust in local institutions.
• International initiatives: aware of these issues, several governments are launching initiatives to regain control. In Europe there is talk of ‘sovereign cloud’ and cooperative projects like Gaia‑X. Canada is also exploring sovereign cloud solutions.

In short, sovereign hosting is not a local whim; it is a strategic imperative today. Controlling data and digital infrastructures has become a key geopolitical issue.

Why is this important for SMEs and non‑profits?

You might think these concerns only affect governments or large companies, but small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) and non‑profits are also concerned because they are subject to the same laws and rely on digital services.

• Protection of sensitive data: SMEs and non‑profits often collect and process sensitive data – client or member lists, financial information, personal data of employees or beneficiaries. If these data are hosted abroad, they may be subject to foreign laws and surveillance.
• Legal and regulatory compliance: Bill 25 in Quebec and Canadian privacy laws apply to most businesses and organisations (we detail the main obligations later).
• Reducing extraterritorial risks: as we have seen, foreign entities could legally access an SME’s data if it is hosted by a provider subject to extraterritorial laws (e.g., the CLOUD Act).
• Strategic independence and business continuity: for an SME or non‑profit, relying entirely on a single technology provider can be dangerous. What happens if that provider unilaterally raises prices, closes the service or suffers a failure? Sovereign hosting offers alternatives.
• Trust and alignment with values: people care increasingly about protecting their personal data. A non‑profit working with vulnerable populations or a company that champions ethical values will enhance its credibility by hosting data in a sovereign manner.

In summary, for SMEs and non‑profits in Quebec and Canada, ensuring that their data are hosted in a sovereign manner protects digital assets, ensures legal compliance, minimises data leakage risks and reinforces independence.

The importance for individuals and citizens’ privacy

Citizens, as individuals, are also at the heart of digital sovereignty. After all, it is their personal data at stake: name, address, browsing history, photos, medical records, etc.

• Privacy protection: when you use a mobile app, social network or online service, your personal information can be stored anywhere in the world. If it is hosted outside Canada, it may be subject to foreign laws and mass surveillance.
• More effective recourse and rights: if your data are hosted locally, it is easier to exercise your rights in the event of a problem (data breach, abusive use, etc.). In Quebec, the Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI) can intervene quickly.
• Reduced risk of surveillance and abuse: recent news has repeatedly shown the existence of mass surveillance programmes and that some technology companies do not hesitate to exploit user data for targeted advertising or even political manipulation.
• Maintaining a local digital ecosystem: beyond privacy, there is also a cultural and community dimension. By choosing local or sovereignty‑respecting digital services, you help sustain local businesses, encourage innovation and maintain cultural independence.

What can individuals do to promote digital sovereignty? You don’t need to be an IT expert to adopt simple habits that strengthen your control. Here are some suggestions:

• Ask about hosting: whenever you entrust data to a service (online purchases, signing up on a website, using an app), ask yourself where your data will be stored and under which laws.
• Choose local or ethical providers: if you have a choice, opt for services that host data in Quebec or Canada. For example, some email providers, cloud storage solutions and web hosting companies advertise local hosting and a strong privacy policy.
• Read (at least some of) the privacy policies: it may not be fun, but browse the sections on data storage and cross‑border transfers to understand where your data are going.
• Exercise your rights: as a resident of Quebec, you have specific rights regarding your personal information under Bill 25. Use them. For example, you can request access to your data, ask for correction or deletion, or file a complaint if you feel your rights have been violated.
• Stay informed and vigilant: data protection issues evolve rapidly. New laws and new services appear. Keep up to date with privacy news, follow organisations such as FACiL and EFF, and encourage discussions in your circles.

Ultimately, data sovereignty is directly linked to protecting your privacy and controlling your personal information. Each individual has a role to play in promoting a healthier, more resilient digital environment.

The legal framework: Bill 25 and data protection requirements

In Quebec and Canada, awareness of digital sovereignty has led to a stronger legal framework in recent years. Bill 25, passed in Quebec, is a good example.

Key points of Bill 25 and the surrounding legal framework:

• Greater consent and transparency: Bill 25 requires organisations (public and private) to obtain informed consent from individuals for the collection and use of their personal information. They must also clearly explain why and how they use the data.
• Obligations when transferring data outside Quebec: this is directly related to digital sovereignty. Bill 25 requires companies to take specific measures before hosting or processing personal data outside the province. They must carry out a privacy impact assessment and sign contractual clauses that guarantee equivalent protection.
• New rights for citizens: in addition to the existing rights of access and correction, Bill 25 introduces rights inspired by the European model, such as the right to data portability and the right to de‑indexation. Citizens can request that their data be erased or that a copy be provided in a readable format.
• Severe sanctions and incentives: failure to comply with these rules can result in significant fines. The Commission d’accès à l’information (CAI) can impose penalties, and there are also incentives for companies that adopt good data governance practices (e.g., certification programmes).
• Federal framework and future: at the federal level, Canada’s existing law (PIPEDA) still applies, and the government is working on Bill C‑27 to update it. Bill C‑27 introduces a Digital Charter and will strengthen citizens’ rights and obligations for companies.

In short, Quebec and Canadian law is evolving to support digital sovereignty. Laws such as Bill 25 guarantee that our data remain under the protection of our laws and adapt to new digital uses.

Beyond location: the importance of the ‘backbone’ and technological independence

We emphasised above that digital sovereignty is not just about the geographic location of servers. We must also consider the ‘backbone’ of the infrastructure, meaning the upstream providers, the network, the operating systems and software layers.

Why is this as important as physical location?

• Jurisdiction of the provider and subcontracting chain: suppose you host your data with a provider based in Montreal. Good. But if this provider is actually a subsidiary of a foreign group, the parent company could be subject to foreign laws. Likewise, you should ensure that subcontractors (e.g., support or maintenance) are also under local jurisdiction.
• Control of access and personnel: sovereignty includes managing data access. If your data are hosted by a local company but its technical team or support is outsourced to another country, the risk remains. It is important to ensure that administrators and service teams are subject to local law and abide by confidentiality agreements.
• Network and hardware infrastructure: the route your data take across the Internet can also have implications. For example, in Canada, much Internet traffic passes through the United States. Even if your data are hosted locally, they may transit through networks or hardware subject to foreign jurisdiction.
• Free software and independence from vendors: another part of the technological backbone is the software we use. Many proprietary solutions (operating systems, databases, cloud platforms) are supplied by foreign companies and may include telemetry or backdoors. Adopting free and open‑source software reduces dependence and improves transparency.

In short, digital sovereignty requires a holistic approach: we must consider the entire ecosystem. Locating data in Canada is necessary but not sufficient; we must also ensure the independence of all layers – network, software and human.

Fortunately, more and more initiatives are addressing these gaps: national cloud projects, encouragement of open‑source solutions and public policies promoting local software. This points to a growing desire for independence and digital resilience.

Solutions for sovereign hosting: decentralised and open‑source alternatives

Faced with these challenges, you might feel a bit overwhelmed. The good news is that solutions exist to implement sovereign hosting and regain control. Decentralised, open‑source alternatives give you autonomy.

Let us take a look at what can be done:

Choose local and independent hosting providers

Instead of automatically turning to the well‑known cloud giants, you can opt for Canadian hosting providers. In Quebec there are data centres and service providers that offer data hosting under Canadian law.

In Europe, there are several national or regional sovereign clouds (OVHcloud in France, Hetzner in Germany, etc.) as alternatives to services like AWS. Similar initiatives are emerging in Canada, and there is a growing market for sovereign hosting providers.

Advantage of a local provider: the relationship of trust is more direct. You can often speak to a manager, know the exact location of your data and even visit the data centre. This transparency reduces the risk of unpleasant surprises.

Implement open‑source, self‑hosted solutions

Thanks to open source, an organisation can host certain critical services itself, or have them hosted by a trusted partner, without going through proprietary platforms. This reduces dependency and keeps data under local control.

• File storage and collaboration: instead of using Google Drive or Dropbox, you can deploy a tool like Nextcloud, which is a free cloud suite. Nextcloud allows file sharing, collaborative editing, calendar, tasks and video conferencing, while keeping data on your own server or that of a local provider.
• Team messaging and communications: instead of Slack (owned by an American company) or Microsoft Teams, there are open‑source alternatives such as Rocket.Chat or Mattermost. These solutions can be self‑hosted and offer similar features (channels, private messages, integration with tools) without data leaving the country.
• Email and online office suite: many organisations use Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, etc.) or Office 365. Here too, sovereign options exist. For email, you can host your own mail server or use local providers. For online office suites, projects like Collabora Online (based on LibreOffice) or OnlyOffice integrate into Nextcloud and give you control over your documents.
• Websites and content management: instead of relying on proprietary ‘all‑in‑one’ platforms for your site (e.g., a website builder with unknown data location), you can use open‑source CMS like WordPress, Drupal or Joomla. They can be hosted locally and provide better control over your site and data.
• Alternative social networks: for individuals seeking sovereignty, the ''Fediverse'' offers decentralised social networks. Platforms like Mastodon (an alternative to X/Twitter), PeerTube (for video hosting) and Pixelfed (for photos) allow you to connect with others without giving your data to a single big tech company.
• Specific applications: for almost every proprietary application there is a free and sovereign equivalent. Need an online project management tool? OpenProject is an open‑source platform that can be self‑hosted. Need an ERP? Odoo Community and Tryton are open‑source alternatives.

Of course, using these solutions requires some technical expertise or the support of a competent service provider. An SME may not have a large IT department to set up and maintain these tools, but there are integrators and managed providers that specialise in open source and sovereign hosting.

An encouraging point: these open‑source alternatives are constantly improving and are supported by large communities. The advantages they offer align perfectly with the goals of digital sovereignty.

• Access to source code: a guarantee of transparency and trust – you know what the tool actually does.
• Multi‑server and decentralisation: no single point of control, so no single entity has a stranglehold on your data.
• Sovereign hosting guaranteed: you choose where to deploy (on your own premises or with a trusted local host).
• Ethical commitment: most of these projects pledge not to monetise data abusively and to respect privacy.
• Community and mutual assistance: in the event of a security flaw, thousands of developers around the world can contribute to a quick fix, which often makes free software very robust.

We must also be aware of the challenges: the interface of some free tools may be less polished than that of commercial products; user training is necessary to change habits, and everything cannot be replaced overnight. However, in the long term, independence pays off.

Finally, let us stress that governments themselves can play a supportive role. In France, the state has launched programmes to help SMEs adopt sovereign digital tools (via the France Num initiative, for example). Similar initiatives exist or could be created in Quebec and Canada to support local providers and encourage adoption.

Case study: comparison of two hosting scenarios

To make all this concrete, let us look at two scenarios illustrating the difference between non‑sovereign and sovereign hosting. Imagine a small fictional company, ABC Inc., based in Quebec and managing customer data and its website.

Case 1: Non‑sovereign hosting with a foreign giant

ABC Inc. decides, for convenience, to host everything with “GlobalCloud”, a well‑known provider (for the example) based in the United States with data centres all over the world. When signing up, ABC thinks that hosting in Montreal will protect them.

But behind the scenes: GlobalCloud’s contract stipulates that in the event of a legal obligation, data may be passed on to the competent authorities in the country where the parent company is based. In short, if a US court orders it, your data may be handed over, even if they are stored in Quebec.

In addition, GlobalCloud has system administrators located in several countries. Engineers in the US or India regularly access machines (including those of ABC Inc.) for maintenance. This increases the risk of errors and leaks.

One day, ABC Inc. learns that, due to a security incident, customer data were accessed by a third party. It is hard to know whether it was a hacker or government access. The company must notify affected people and regulators and suffers reputational damage.

ABC Inc. also realises that by storing Quebec citizens’ personal data on a foreign service, it should have carried out a privacy impact assessment and ensured that GlobalCloud offered equivalent guarantees. Failure to do so may expose it to sanctions under Bill 25.

Consequences for ABC Inc. in this scenario: a loss of trust from customers who find out about the breach, a potential legal problem with the regulator, and considerable anxiety about the confidentiality of their data.

Case 2: Sovereign hosting with a local provider + open‑source solutions

In the second scenario, ABC Inc. chooses from the start (or after the previous incident, to make amends) to aim for digital sovereignty. It contacts “CloudQuébec” (a fictional provider), a Canadian cloud company that operates under Quebec law.

ABC Inc. migrates its site and database to CloudQuébec. The company takes the opportunity to replace some internal tools: it installs a Nextcloud hosted at CloudQuébec for storing its files and collaborative editing, and chooses Rocket.Chat for internal communications.

The deployment requires some initial work and slightly higher fees than GlobalCloud, but ABC Inc. gains several benefits in return:

• Legal compliance without a headache: since customer data are now hosted locally, ABC Inc. can much more easily demonstrate its compliance with Bill 25. There are no cross‑border transfers to manage.
• Enhanced security and local support: CloudQuébec provides French‑language support in the same time zone. In case of a problem, ABC Inc. gets help quickly, without cultural or linguistic barriers. In addition, by using open‑source tools, security updates and audits are transparent.
• No foreign access without going through Canadian law: if one day an authority wishes to access ABC Inc.’s data (say, in the context of an investigation), the request must be made through the Canadian legal system. There is no direct extraterritorial access, which protects confidentiality.
• Valuing clients: on its website and communications, ABC Inc. now highlights its commitment to data protection. It explains, in simple terms, to its users that their data are hosted in Quebec under local law. This helps build loyalty and distinguishes it from competitors.
• Experience gained and control: by managing its Nextcloud and working with a local cloud provider, ABC Inc. has developed new internal skills or through its partner. The company better understands its infrastructure and is less dependent on a single vendor. It can make informed decisions about upgrades and security.

Ultimately, scenario 2 shows that with a little planning and the right partners, it is entirely possible for an SME to operate in a sovereign digital environment without sacrificing modernity or convenience. Hosting and solutions tailored to the size and needs of the organisation exist.

Conclusion: toward a digital autonomy beneficial to all

Sovereign hosting is not simply a patriotic whim or a retreat into oneself. On the contrary, it is a proactive approach to ensuring the security, confidentiality and independence of our digital activities.

For SMEs and non‑profits in Quebec and Canada, embracing digital sovereignty means strengthening their governance, reducing often invisible risks and gaining the trust of those they interact with. This applies equally to citizens, who have everything to gain from taking control of their digital data and tools.

We have seen that digital sovereignty encompasses a set of measures: locating data under local jurisdiction, mastering the backbone (infrastructure and tools), using free and open‑source solutions, and choosing local and independent partners.

Of course, achieving full digital sovereignty is a journey. It takes time to develop competitive local alternatives, to train businesses and the general public to use new tools, and to adapt legislation.

By taking an educational and informed approach – as we have tried to do in this article – we realise that digital sovereignty is not just a matter for specialists. It concerns everyone: SMEs, non‑profits, governments, citizens, students and seniors.

To conclude, let us remember this: choosing sovereign hosting and open solutions is an investment in technology that serves people and the community. It supports the idea that digital progress can go hand in hand with ethics, transparency and autonomy.

In the end, digital sovereignty is the freedom to remain masters of our digital destiny, and it is essential in today’s geopolitical context. Let us adopt it and adapt ourselves, for a safer and more resilient digital future.