This is the first part, as the article says.

If you self-host, you pay nothing (except for your sever, of course). Nextcloud has always been self-hostable as we know, and you can do that in the future.

It’s not only about control but also a big threat for democracy and a stable society as a whole. Last year, for example, Chinese state-backed hacking group Salt Typhoon breached the U.S. telecom networks’ wiretap system (a backdoor legally required for law enforcement to access people’s private communication), forcing the authorities to urge U.S. citizens using encrypted messaging. So there is no such thing as a backdoor only for the good guys.

Breaking encryption opens the door not just for control but also for malign actors within the borders and from abroad. Where such democratic decline ends can be seen in China, for example, where total control and surveillance is suppressing any form of dissent.

(There is a very good documentary about the devastating consequences of surveillance for those interested: https://total-trust.org/.)

[Edit typo.]

It’s not only about control but also a big threat for democracy and a stable society as a whole. Last year, for example, Chinese state-backed hacking group Salt Typhoon breached the U.S. telecom networks’ wiretap system (a backdoor legally required for law enforcement to access people’s private communication), forcing the authorities to urge U.S. citizens using encrypted messaging. So there is no such thing as a backdoor only for the good guys.

Breaking encryption opens the door not just for control but also for malign actors within the borders and from abroad. Where such democratic decline ends can be seen in China, for example, where total control and surveillance is suppressing any form of dissent.

(There is a very good documentary about the devastating consequences of surveillance for those interested: https://total-trust.org/.)

[Edit typo.]

China requires not only Chinese leadership, you can’t even found a subsidiary in China that you would own. You always need a Chinese partner company that would then control the majority stake of the Joint Venture (btw, the only non-Chinese company that is exempted from this rule is Tesla).

The Chinese government will certainly understand the Dutch move as they eliminate all Western technology firms such as Nokia and Ericsson from its domestic networks. So what’s the issue?

It’s hard to get reliable numbers. One study I could find is a review published by the World Bank in 2024 that analyzes the long-term development of cyber incidents and their economic costs. Among others, it says:

According to the UK Cabinet Office, in 2011, the UK government estimated that the costs of cybercrime was USD 33.67 billion or about 1.3% of the country’s GDP, with the largest share posed to businesses—about 77.78%. Grant Thornton (2021) shows that in 2014, the total cost of cybercrime in Ireland was USD 695.5 million, and then, in 2020, it increased dramatically to USD 10.5 billion, or 2.5% of the country’s GDP.

Source (pdf)

Note that the 1.3% of UK’s GDP and Ireland’s 2.5% relate to 2011 and 2014, respectively. So we may reasonably assume it’s much higher. Although the numbers in this review are probably not fully comparable with Bitkom’s survey, it provides useful insights, and the 5% don’t seem so far-fetched.

Nokia’s calls for action here are not impartial.

No one in this context is impartial. This is why China - in an impartial move - banned Nokia from its domestic market citing national security reasons. It should go without debate that Europe does the same and banning Chinese companies for the very same reason. Beijing will understand, no?

It must be noted that China has been a ‘closed shop’ for decades, but for then or so years it has been shielding its domestic markets more than ever.

Yes, they have the same business interests as Chinese companies, but Nokia has been reportedly banned in China over security reasons. So China will certainly understand if Chinese companies get banned in Europe amid security concerns.

hmm. and data transfer to america is fine?

Who says that?

Yeah, you should expect … but that’s not the case. The article is not biased.

Accusing people of bad faith without reason just because they disagree with you is one of the most disingenuous things you can do.

I fully agree. Just read many of the comments about the linked article. They do exactly what you portray.

The 50 cent warriors are somewhere else.

Amazing how this thread illustrates how many tankie alt accounts are here on Beehaw already.

Just read the article before you (intentionally?) misinterpret the content:

The admission of Chinese responsibility came during a secret meeting between outgoing Biden administration officials and Chinese representatives on the sidelines of a summit in Geneva in December 2024. […] The Chinese attendants referred indirectly to the activity as being a warning for the US to stay away from any attempts to support or defend Taiwan.