Is Cuba on the Path to Digital Security?

On January 16, the website Cubadebate published an article by Russian journalist Viktor Ternovsky in an installment of "Notebooks of a Muscovite," a collaboration between Cubadebate and SputnikMundo, titled "Russia Enters the Privileged Club of Countries with Full Digital Sovereignty," a condition previously achieved, according to Ternovsky, only by China and the United States.

To achieve this goal, Russia has been developing several platforms and services widely used by its population for several years. Examples include Yandex, which began as a web search engine and has become a service ecosystem; the MIR payment system, created using national developments and infrastructure; and the Russian social network VK, which offers a service similar to TikTok. The online video platform Rutube, an alternative to YouTube; the state-run services platform Gosuslugi, which allows access to services and administrative procedures; and the national instant messaging service MAX, available since 2025, which already has 85 million users.

Advancing digital security requires achieving results in three areas: infrastructure, development of proprietary technologies and applications, and the creation of a culture of safe and responsible use. It also requires having an adequate incident management system, human resources management, and legal provisions in this area.

I agree with a comment on the aforementioned article in Cubadebate, which states: “We too have begun our path to sovereignty. Applications like toDus (the Cuban WhatsApp), PICTA (the Cuban YouTube), Apklis (the Cuban Android app store), and SOBERANÍA (with all the legal documents and procedures for Cuban citizens) show that it’s indeed possible to become independent in the digital context. Now we just need to use them and make them increasingly attractive.”

Cuba has two digital payment gateways, Transfermóvil and Enzona. The former has more than 5.6 million active clients, an average of 46 transactions per second daily, and a user experience score of 4.75 out of a maximum of 5. 87.6% of telephone services, 85.9% of electricity, and 47% of taxes are paid through this platform.

The instant messaging app toDus, operated by the company Z17, has over 2.6 million registered users and offers various services, such as creating and joining groups, subscribing to channels, organizing catalogs, promoting products, and receiving bank transaction notifications. It doesn't aim to compete with WhatsApp or Telegram, but rather to be an alternative within the Cuban digital landscape.

Meanwhile, Picta, a Cuban YouTube-like platform, has over 600,000 registered users. It allows for live streaming of events, short videos or reels, live television, exclusive channels, downloads, advertising space, and a three-tiered subscription system.

Apklis, the Cuban apps center, has over 900,000 registered users and allows for one-time purchases. Apps are pre-verified to ensure security and functionality.

The Soberanía platform has been operational since July 2025, offering descriptions of over 290 procedures and services provided by the public administration to citizens, which can be managed from the comfort of their homes. Its use is growing and has received over 121,000 visits to date.

Very few countries have a collaborative online encyclopedia with a database of nearly 280,000 articles, all created by Cubans. EcuRed is a social content network used not only by Cubans but also by people from various countries who visit the site to find information with a decolonizing perspective. Users from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Spain, and the United States access articles daily on history, culture, sports, science, politics, and other topics related to Cuba and the world.

If there’s one thing to highlight, it’s that these advances, though still insufficient, have been achieved in a country operating under a war economy. However, the above demonstrates that Cuba is on the path to digital security.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff