Stephen Downes

People typically associate sovereignty with a nation or place, but as micro-nations like Sealand demonstrate, sovereignty isn't about place, it's about what you can do. In this post, Tom Watson argues, "sovereignty is about meaningful choice and the ability to act on it. Having alternatives, yes, but also having the knowledge, money, rights and practical means to actually pick one." That means the sovereignty of nations, communities, businesses, organizations and individuals are different. Each has different needs and priorities. Governments are concerned with security while individuals are concerned about their data, for example.