AIF Insights No. 30 (2025) | The Geopolitics of Mobile App Ecosystems: Power, Platforms, and Policy

AIF Insights No. 30 (2025) | The Geopolitics of Mobile App Ecosystems: Power, Platforms, and Policy

This article explores the geopolitics of mobile phone applications as platforms that shape digital sovereignty and global power. With billions of internet users and mobile subscriptions worldwide, mobile ecosystems such as Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android dominate global markets, while Chinese alternatives like Huawei’s HarmonyOS, WeChat, and TikTok face restrictions due to political tensions and security concerns. These platforms extend beyond technology, functioning as tools of economic leverage, surveillance, and cross-border influence. The rivalry between Western and Chinese systems raises questions about data ownership, trust, and control of critical infrastructures. For developing nations, the competition creates both dependency and vulnerability, as they remain primarily consumers of foreign technologies. To avoid deepening the digital divide, emerging economies must strengthen infrastructure, promote digital literacy, and build regional and local capacity. The article argues that mobile applications sit at the core of digital geopolitics and will shape the future balance of technological power.