Private Firms Sell Sovereignty

Private technology firms are increasingly offering capabilities — satellite communications, cloud control, automated logistics — that states rely on to exercise core sovereign functions. When those firms can enable or withhold services (e.g., cutting satellite access, controlling networks), they effectively sell 'sovereignty' in exchange for contracts, regulatory favors, or benign neglect. — This reframes debates about national security, regulation, and corporate power: policy must treat some corporate infrastructure as strategic state capacity rather than merely private market activity.