The EU’s power grid, banks and hospitals all rely on software developed in USA.
And yet we rarely talk about software as critical infrastructure. Most people think of it as something that makes their computer run – not as the actual foundation of modern society.
But in reality, software has become the engine room of the digital society. And the control of that engine room largely rests in the hands of American companies, explains Jan Damsgaard, professor of digitalisation at CBS.
“We have built our entire economy and welfare society on software we do not control ourselves. It is the equivalent of handing someone a remote control to everything we have running – and hoping they never use it.”
According to Jan Damsgaard, the problem is just as urgent as building military defence.
“This is crucial and of great significance to our society. It should be a top priority,” he says.
We cannot switch the lights on ourselves
It may sound like a doomsday scenario, but the threat is very real.
When Donald Trump became President of the United States, the leaders of the tech giants were right behind him – and if anyone is in doubt about where their loyalty lie in a crisis, there is already an example that makes it clear.
