The Digital Sovereignty Observatory
Political funding shifts, resource constraints, and migration control pressures are generating heightened concerns around digital governance. In this context, humanitarian institutions are adopting stablecoins and satellite technologies that transcend traditional borders; global governments are advancing digital public infrastructure, including digital ID systems that recalibrate the social contract.
The Digital Sovereignty Observatory examines how emerging technologies reshape social and political boundaries, with a particular focus on migration systems and the vulnerable groups navigating them.
The Observatory addresses the urgent need for interdisciplinary research across four key dimensions of digital sovereignty:
- Individual: Personal data rights, digital identity, discrimination, and autonomy
- Organisational: Corporate accountability, platform governance, and responsible innovation
- State: Regulatory authority, digital jurisdiction, and security frameworks
- International: Cross-border data flows, technical standards, and multilateral cooperation
Funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, this initiative is led by four principal investigators: Dr Margie Cheesman (King’s College London), Dr Keren Weitzberg (Queen Mary, University of London), Dr Aaron Martin (University of Virginia), and Dr Emrys Schoemaker (Geneva Graduate Institute).
Principal Investigators
Lecturer in Digital Economy
Senior Lecturer and Fellow at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, Queen Mary University of London
Assistant Professor of Media Studies and Data Science, University of Virginia
Senior Researcher, Global Governance Centre