Today, outside China, US platforms have become crucial infrastructure in most national economies. The pervasive social, political, and economic power of US platform companies has increasingly become a vital issue for national sovereignty. While most governments attempt to regulate these US platforms using fines or antitrust regulations, this article examines an alternative policy route that entails supporting the development of national platforms. By creating national platforms, countries aim to enhance local autonomy and control in home markets in the face of the global platform firms. We examine the growing awareness of governments of the increasing market and non-market power of online platforms and examine the case of Russia, where having domestic firms capable of meeting the needs of Russian consumers was vital due to political reasons. Our case study shows significant challenges in replacing global platform providers with national champions. In conclusion, we highlight significant limitations of the state when faced with regulating global platform companies and reflect upon whether the global internet is fragmenting.
