The Central Asian Region as an Object of Digital Colonization

Introduction. Digital transformation has become one of the key factors reshaping global politics and international relations. The development of information and communication technologies has led to the emergence of new forms of global influence, within which control over digital infrastructure and data acquires strategic significance. Under these conditions, the dependence of developing states on external technological actors is increasing. For the countries of Central Asia, digitalization simultaneously serves as a tool for the modernization of national digital infrastructure and as a source of new geopolitical risks associated with the erosion of elements of digital sovereignty.
Methods and materials. The theoretical and methodological framework draws on conceptual principles of post-industrial society theory, the concept of «cyberpower,» and the network society, based on the works of E. Toffler, J. Nye, and M. Castells. The study utilizes general scientific and political methods, including systems and geopolitical analysis, to evaluate materials that allow for an assessment of the role of states and transnational technology corporations in the region's digital transformation.
Results. It has been found that the digital infrastructure of Central Asian countries is being shaped with the dominant involvement of foreign technology corporations, which leads to institutional and political dependence in the sphere of digital governance and contributes to the erosion of digital sovereignty.
Conclusion. Digital dependence in Central Asia reproduces asymmetric patterns of influence characteristic of emerging forms of geopolitical dominance, conceptualized within the framework of digital colonialism. In the absence of the development of domestic technological capabilities and a coordinated regional strategy, digitalization increases state vulnerability and undermines strategic autonomy in the international arena.