Abstract
This dissertation explores the ways in which the 4IR has fuelled the emergence of digital foreign policy. It also explores three subsidiary questions, namely (1) What are the determinants of digital foreign policy? (2) Which traditional foreign policy determinants have become less relevant in the 21st century? And (3) Which new technologies (including AI and cross-border digital data flows) and regulations are propelling the emergence of digital foreign policy? This is a comparative study of five countries with comprehensive digital foreign policy frameworks, namely France, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. These frameworks are compared in terms of five variables, namely peace and security, economic development, digital governance, digital diplomacy, and technology. The study concludes that, for countries to achieve digital independence, or digital sovereignty, digital foreign policy framework are essential. It also finds that the formation of digital foreign policy is still influenced by some aspects of traditional foreign policy.