Trust, trade and the new data diplomacy

Data has become the defining currency of global power. The nations and organizations that can manage, protect, and share it responsibly will shape the future of economic resilience and international cooperation. In an era where artificial intelligence and digital interdependence connect every market and mission, the ability to build and maintain trust in data is now a central pillar of both commerce and diplomacy.

We are witnessing the rise of what I call data diplomacy: the practice of forging alliances built not only on shared interests but also on shared data ethics. Whether between countries or corporations, every digital relationship now rests on one question: can your partners trust how you handle information?

Diplomacy in the Age of Data

For much of modern history, global influence was defined by control over physical resources like oil, minerals, and manufacturing. Today, digital assets have joined that list, shaping economies and redefining geopolitical strategy. Data enables prosperity, but it also introduces risk. It fuels AI models, drives innovation, and connects global supply chains, yet its misuse can destabilize markets, compromise privacy, or inflame international tensions.

The result is a new kind of diplomacy, one where the movement, storage, and protection of data carry the same strategic weight as traditional trade negotiations. Data has become both an economic asset and a geopolitical instrument.

The Geopolitics of Digital Trust

Cross-border data flows now underpin global trade, defense cooperation, and technological innovation. Recent analysis shows that the volume and value of these flows are critical to digital competitiveness, with electronic data movement contributing an estimated $2.8 trillion to global GDP in 2023 and continuing to accelerate as economies digitize. At the same time, governments are increasingly imposing sovereignty-driven controls that affect how and where data can cross borders, reflecting a growing tension between openness and national interest.

But these same flows also expose nations and enterprises to escalating threats, from cyber espionage to disinformation. The more interconnected the system, the more leverage attackers can gain through compromised or manipulated data. Trust, once an abstract concept in foreign policy, has become an operational requirement.

Governments are embedding data integrity into their trade agreements and national security strategies. Enterprises, meanwhile, are re-evaluating their technology partnerships based on transparency and accountability. In this environment, digital trust is the new metric of global reliability.

Data Sovereignty as Economic Strategy

Data sovereignty, which defines how and where data is stored, processed, and governed, has moved from legal jargon to boardroom priority. And as artificial intelligence becomes inseparable from national strategy, AI sovereignty has emerged alongside it. The ability to develop and deploy AI systems using trusted, transparent, and locally governed data is now viewed as essential to both economic competitiveness and national security.

Nations are investing in secure, localized, and interoperable data infrastructures to protect their citizens, ensure ethical AI development, and strengthen digital independence. At the same time, the challenge is balance. Excessive control can isolate economies and slow innovation, while unrestricted data flows can expose vulnerabilities and weaken accountability.

The path forward lies in responsible interdependence—protecting critical data and the AI systems it powers without undermining global collaboration. Achieving that balance is now the cornerstone of both economic resilience and technological sovereignty.

The New Architecture of Cooperation

Data diplomacy is not limited to governments. Private companies are key players in this new era of cooperation. Public-private partnerships are essential to creating global standards for data security, privacy, and transparency.

Intelligent data infrastructure plays a central role here. When systems are designed for visibility, compliance, and interoperability, they create a foundation for trust across borders. Enterprises that treat governance as a strategic function, rather than a compliance obligation, are better equipped to participate in this evolving digital ecosystem.

The Future of Trust and Trade

Data has become the connective tissue of global progress. It links economies, fuels innovation, and shapes public confidence. But with that power comes responsibility. The leaders who treat data stewardship as a shared obligation, spanning nations, sectors, and systems, will define the next century of digital growth.

The future of diplomacy will not be written solely in treaties or tariffs. It will be written in how we manage, secure, and share the data that drives our world. Those who earn trust will lead. Those who lose it will struggle to compete.

Cesar Cernuda is the President of NetApp.