Digital sovereignty. The political proposal of the Brothers of Italy on the issues of innovation seems to revolve around a concept that has remained on the sidelines of the entire electoral campaign that has just ended. The Italian digital sovereignty is declined on the issues of cybersecurity, on the relationship with the great technological giants and on that with the superpowers, on the revision of the PNRR up to the issue of startups and mass surveillance by new technologies.
A theme as central as it is for Federico MolliconeHead of Innovation of the party led by Giorgia Meloni, from the concept of digital sovereignty passes “the credibility of Italy and Europe with respect to the great nations”. FdI claims to have been the first party to talk about this issue. Mollicone a year ago sent to print “Italy on stage – Culture, innovation, the pandemic. Three years of battles inside and outside the Palace to build the right-wing government ”. A collection of his parliamentary acts with his proposals on digital and the management of the cultural industry.
The preface was entrusted to Meloni, who in his pages lists the workhorses of FdI: the role of artificial intelligence; the right to be connected; the role of the state; the relationship with Over the top; a more incisive tax on network services and platform regulation. “As patriots our goal” is “to defend the Italians and the national interest in every form it declines”. And the declination of this defense relies on the concept of digital sovereignty.
Freedom of citizens and the role of platforms
In the brochure of the Fratelli d’Italia program there are few references to the issues of digital and innovation. The term digital is used ten times, two of which to promote tourism and culture online as well. But there is a passage in the program where the position of FdI becomes more direct. This is chapter 12, entitled: “In defense of the freedom and dignity of everyone”. Three points noted.
The first: “No to the introduction of digital control tools of mass and compression of individual freedoms or scoring mechanisms, such as ‘citizenship with points’ on the Chinese model “, with reference to the apps and platforms that the Beijing government has launched in an attempt to reward citizens deserving of following the rules decided by the central government.
The second: “Contrasto alla arbitrary censorship of social networks and guarantee of respect for the free expression of thought by the major communication platforms “. Here it is a battle that sees conservatives opposed to large social platforms all over the world. Social media have always been accused by conservatives in every corner of the world of being subjected to American liberal thought, even going so far as to censor thought, sometimes right-wing politicians if their positions entered the radar of ‘hate speech’.
Third: “Guarantee of maximum safety in the personal data protection”, Which is part of the great chapter of IT security. We will be back. In the FdI program there are other references to digital issues. There is talk of support for startups in the chapter on young people, but there does not seem to be any insights into the reference market or investments in risk capital in the version published online. To look for other indications it is necessary to refer to Mollicone’s declarations.
Startup and role of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti
In a letter to Formiche.net of 30 April, Mollicone writes: “Without digital sovereignty there can be no political and economic sovereignty: we therefore propose a national direction for innovation policies. Small and medium-sized enterprises and startups that are essential for the growth of the nation must be protected, through incentives “. On the topic of startup, Mollicone in his book proposes a “redefinition of the role of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti”, which has become the cornerstone of the national innovation strategy with the role assumed in the startup market by Cdp Venture Capital. For Mollicone, this action must be reviewed “within the broader legislation on Golden power, to safeguard our jewels of innovation, now in great difficulty, which risk being preyed upon”.
Cybersecurity
“Cybersecurity must be at the heart of national security policies. Italy is the fourth country in the world for the risk of attacks: the next government will not be able to ignore it. Italians will be truly safe only when we improve and invest in our digital security system ”, Mollicone writes again in his letter. “To ensure that Italy can defend itself from hackers and virtual criminals, it will be necessary to establish the publication of the expenses for the purchase of digital goods and services by the state apparatuses that manage the resources of the NRP. We must invest in new generation technologies with high added value and support those who will be required to have a high level of protection with vouchers and tax credits. Protecting digital sovereignty also means enhancing the contribution of Italian cyber companies in the defense sector, guaranteeing national industrial realities and supporting their conquest of European markets ”, he adds.
The single register of the PA algorithms
Mollicone in several interviews stressed how the use of data for the Public Administration and the use of technologies that adopt artificial intelligence must be regulated. “It is in this period of technological change that a public policy that regulates the use of artificial intelligence is urgently and crucial if we want to promote digital transformation while protecting the rights of citizens”.
Consequently, Mollicone has proposed on several occasions the “creation of a public register of algorithms and artificial intelligence technologies used for public administration”, in such a way as to guarantee “transparency and the digital rights of citizens. The cloud infrastructure, the true safe of our data, must remain under public control ”.
Networks and sovereignty
“Networks are a key sector for the nation and the predatory behavior of some industrial groups, with direct connections to undemocratic states, could lead to high degrees of vulnerability. For this, we ask for the utmost vigilance “. Mollicone spoke on the topic of networks on several occasions.
Also on the topic of networks, his attention was focused above all on the need that “the great capitals of the digital sultans‘”, Operate in a regime of greater transparency and must be“ taxed fairly, safeguarding the Italian digital market, legitimate competition and the employment situation of workers in many sectors ”.
In the FdI program, Mollicone stressed on other occasions, the party asks “to regulate digital platforms, avoiding any censorship, and any form of digital surveillance, monitoring partners from non-European countries”. Statements that help to better define the concept of sovereignty. digital defended by the party.
Broadband and single publicly controlled network
Broadband and revision of the relevant part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan are another central topic in the declarations of the party’s head of innovation. “Updating the PNRR, in light of the geopolitical context, is a precious opportunity to guarantee interventions against expensive energy, but also to improve the ‘grounding’ of ultra-broadband tenders”, Mollicone told the agencies at the beginning of September. .
“Broadband infrastructure must be supported, particularly in the suburbs, both by allocating part of the resources of the NRP to the municipalities to set up a specific Fund and by establishing a single, national, publicly controlled network”. Mollicone also asked for “a streamlining of the authorization procedures, overcoming the constraints of the Superintendencies, and the relaunch of demand through a review of the broadband voucher tool, especially since we know of the problems relating to the transition from copper to fiber”.
A national Desi index
Mollicone included among the programmatic points the need to “encourage digital skills, and stimulated enrollment in scientific subjects at the university, on which I also presented a specific bill, and supported ITS”. But above all, he asked for the “creation of the ‘national’ Desi index as per our approved motion, to be included in the budget cycle by the Def (Economic and Financial Document), so as to be able to evaluate the policies to be adopted”.
The Desi index is the ranking that Brussels draws up every year to certify what and what has been done by member states for digitization. In the last, Italy has begun to catch up, while showing the same historical problems.
Cybersecurity
“The measurability of cyber security will be equally important.” During the presentation of his book Mollicone also dedicated several passages to the topic of inoformatic security: “We need to help companies to buy cyber goods and services because it cannot be a luxury, and we have done with our amendments and supporting the private-public dialogue at the Cybersecurity Agency, ”he said.
“We must invest in new generation technologies with high added value and support those who will be required to have a high level of protection with vouchers and tax credits. Protecting digital sovereignty also means enhancing the contribution of Italian cyber companies in the defense sector, guaranteeing national industrial realities and supporting their conquest of European markets “.
Finally, Mollicone asked for the detestation of cyber work. In short, for the next five years there is already a lot of material to work on.