Key points
- US, China, EU lead data dominance race
- Privacy concerns grow amid surveillance and bias
ISLAMABAD: In the digital age, data has become the world’s most valuable — and fiercely contested — resource. From social media clicks and online purchases to health records and location tracking, every byte of personal information fuels the algorithms that power artificial intelligence, shape economies, and influence politics.
The new global race isn’t for oil or gold, but for control over data — the invisible currency of the 21st century.
According to estimates from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), cross-border data transfers contribute around $2.8 trillion annually to global GDP — a value exceeding the global trade in goods and expected to surge to $11 trillion by 2025.
Centralised systems
The United States, China, and the European Union have emerged as the main players in this contest. Washington’s tech giants — Google, Meta, and Microsoft — continue to dominate global data flows, while Beijing leverages its centralised systems to fuel national AI ambitions. Europe, meanwhile, is positioning itself as the world’s privacy watchdog through landmark laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and upcoming AI governance frameworks.
But the race for data supremacy has raised serious ethical and security concerns. Privacy advocates warn of rising surveillance, algorithmic bias, and manipulation of personal information for commercial or political gain.
Experts argue that the future hinges on finding balance — between innovation and individual rights. As governments tighten data rules and citizens grow more aware of digital privacy, the world faces a defining question: in the age of AI, who really owns your information?
