Global Digital Space: Prospects and Threats to the Economic Development of Countries
Introduction. Currently, the world is creating a global digital space. This process covers, to a greater or lesser extent, virtually all countries of the world. The relevance and vitality of this process is proved by the digitalization of not only the economy, but also of all spheres of human activity. Despite the increasing degree of research of this process, there raises the question of finding the threats and prospects that should be expected from digitalization for the economic development of our country. Theoretical analysis. The historical aspect of the digital economy development is investigated, the causes of this process are revealed. The article notes the first identification of this concept with such concepts as e-Commerce, file exchange through a peer-to-peer network. We consider the prevention of simplified understanding of digitalization, linking it only with these concepts. The data on the emergence of completely different phenomena, connected with the digitalization in the XXI century, the features of this process in different countries of the world in the context of the existing process of globalization are given. Both advantages and threats associated with the penetration of digitalization into the global space are considered. The benefits of digitalization are linked to the ease of copying, transmission and dissemination of information. The threats to the global space that are caused by the spread of digitalization can be associated with copyright infringement, copying, “piracy”, which ultimately results in the loss of investment. The influence of external political and economic threats that are applied to our country can no longer exclude Russia from the list of business partners in these new conditions of globalization. Digitalization erases all obstacles to cooperation between different countries, including Russia. Empirical analysis. The article analyzes the facts that prove the undeniable advantages of digitalization for all countries. The leaders in the market of IT are revealed, taking into account such indicators as the number of Internet users, convenience/difficulty of access, the availability of analog additions, the developed telecommunications market, which does not exclude the possibility of its further development. It is noted that today they influence the transition of countries from one category to a higher one. In this regard, the classification of countries presented by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is relevant. It is based on indicators showing the presence of high technology: the relative level of development of digital operations and GDP per capita, the degree of economic operations’ digitalization. These data make it possible to identify the most developed countries. There are currently no more than six. Results. Taking into account the factors described in the article will contribute to the implementation of the main goal of digitalization penetration into the global space - the achievement of business success in all countries, including Russia. This makes it possible to speak about a new meaning of the concept “globalization” and makes the thesis of “the invisible hand of the market”, i.e. personal interest, relevant again.