TECH GIANTS AS GEOPOLITICAL ACTORS

This paper examines how private technology firms increasingly shape geopolitical outcomes by controlling critical digital infrastructures such as satellite connectivity, application platforms, and algorithmic information flows.Technology firms such as Apple, Google, TikTok, and SpaceX now control satellites, applications, and algorithms that states rely on for military operations, diplomacy, and opinion-shaping, yet no government fully controls these systems.This paper analyses what follows from that dependence: in Ukraine, Starlink restrictions have been linked to delays in military operations; regulatory battles over TikTok have influenced US China relations; and app store decisions have weakened protest mobilisation in several contexts.States that depend most on these infrastructures appear to face more frequent disruptions, while governments collectively issue tens of thousands of content-removal requests each year, many of which are resisted or only partly implemented.These patterns suggest that multinational technology corporations may exert significant and growing influence over geopolitical processes.