The Offline-First Playbook: How to Govern When the Lights Go Out
We do not need 'cloud-native' tools; we need 'reality-native' tools. Here is how we choose software that survives a network collapse.
Sven Civic
The Digital Sovereign The Hague
Former Digital Attaché for the diplomatic service. He moved to municipal government expecting a quiet life. He was wrong. Now he treats a SaaS contract like a geopolitical treaty and views 'cloud dependency' as a national security risk. Writes here because he knows that if the City Hall server is compromised, the water stops running.
Note: “Sven Civic” is a pseudonym. We use pseudonyms so we can write honestly about real work without naming clients, employers, or teams.
“We’re GDPR-Compliant” Is Not a Safety Guarantee
Compliance is a checkbox; Sovereignty is a wall. Why the GDPR badge on a website does not protect your Citizens from foreign espionage.
Your “Free” Form Builder Is a Breach of State Secrets
Shadow IT is not innovation; it is an unauthorized treaty with a foreign power. Why 'free' tools are the most expensive risk we take.
The Day the Lawyer Called: A Discovery Request We Couldn’t Refuse
When foreign courts demand Citizen data, your vendor's 'compliance' becomes your liability. Here is how we survive the breach of sovereignty.
“We’re in Frankfurt” — and the Keys Are Still Abroad
Why the 'Region' dropdown menu is the greatest trick Big Tech ever pulled on the public sector.
“It’s Just a Small Pilot” Is How We Lose Strategic Autonomy
Shadow IT and 'free trials' are the Trojan Horses of digital colonization. How to stop the drift into dependency.
The Jurisdiction Checklist: 9 Questions We Ask Before We Sign
A procurement checklist to ensure data sovereignty. Stop buying software like office supplies and start treating contracts like treaties.
“EU Region” Is Not a Border: The Cloud Act in Plain Language
Why physical server location does not guarantee legal immunity from foreign subpoenas, and how to protect citizen data.