Ukraine’s Rapid Digitalization

Today, Ukraine has a massive digital infrastructure, one of the greatest in the world. However, unlike many countries in such a position, this process of digitialization has occurred quickly and out of necessity within the past handful of years. The initial governmental push began in 2014, but it wasn’t until President Zelensky took office in 2019 that the process became a governmental focus. Major events such as the outbreak COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine created a greater sense of urgency to the ongoing project. This urgency brought about massive success but with it came noteworthy risk. In order to address these risks while maintaining a focus on human rights, the government needs to undertake four distinct strategies. First, the government must continue its efforts to prevent external attacks from harming governmental or private bodies. Second, governmental entities must work to solidify accessibility of services for all Ukrainians, including those without online services. Third, the government must gain feedback from its people regarding the limitations of surveillance during times without conflict. Finally, looking beyond the country itself, Ukraine must work to keep up with the EU’s standards of digital technology, particularly as it relates to privacy and surveillance.