Remote Work Today: Geopolitics, Not Technology, Are Shaping Its Future
By Srividya Jandhyala, Fast Company — October 26, 2025
In recent years, remote work promised a revolutionary vision: the ability to work from anywhere in the world, enabled by technological advancements like laptops and high-speed internet. This vision painted a picture of employees logging in from tropical beaches or cozy cafés, collaborating seamlessly across borders, and employers tapping into a global talent pool unrestricted by geography. Special digital nomad visas from governments seemed to herald a future where the world would transform into one large, friendly workplace.
However, that idealized future is facing a stark reality. As Fast Company explores, geopolitical forces are now the primary factors shaping remote work—deciding who works, where they work, and what work they can perform. National security concerns, trade tensions, and government efforts to protect domestic industries and data sovereignty are fundamentally redefining remote work’s promise and practice.
Who Works Remotely: Geopolitical Barriers to Talent Mobility
The initial promise of remote work was to democratize employment opportunities worldwide—enabling talent from diverse countries to collaborate globally and contribute to innovation irrespective of location. Yet, geopolitical realities complicate this vision.
For example, Apple’s expansion of manufacturing in India, anticipated to create 600,000 jobs, initially involved hundreds of Chinese engineers and technicians supporting operations. Recently, over 300 of these Chinese specialists were recalled to China. This move, the second such recall in months, is interpreted as part of China’s efforts to prevent technology transfer to India and discourage the export of manufacturing bases. Apple’s suppliers have since turned to engineers from Taiwan amid these tensions.
Government restrictions increasingly dictate who can be involved in cutting-edge projects, the hiring of certain individuals, and the duration they may stay in their roles. Companies in Silicon Valley and beyond are intensifying security screenings of hires to protect sensitive information, while fluctuating tariffs strain manufacturing jobs across Asia.
Such effects are not isolated: Thai workers in solar cell manufacturing feel the direct impact of Sino-American trade conflicts, foreign directors are exiting leadership roles in Chinese companies amid worsening political relations, and U.S.-based scientists with expertise in artificial intelligence face recruitment attempts from Chinese institutions even as layoffs threaten their positions at home.
Can You Work Remotely? The Limits of Data and Digital Access Across Borders
A core appeal of remote work was the ability to perform jobs from any location — whether near or far, close to family or traveling the globe. Nevertheless, geopolitics is putting practical caps on this flexibility.
Data sovereignty and national security concerns are prompting countries to impose restrictions on cross-border data access. China, for instance, has blocked foreign universities and research institutes from accessing its largest academic databases. Many nations are adopting data localization laws mandating that specific categories of data remain stored within national borders.
The U.S. restricts the transfer of citizens’ data to countries deemed security risks. As a result, employees may face barriers accessing their regular work tools abroad—for example, American business travelers in China might lose access to corporate emails or databases. Analysts evaluating international deals must often be physically present in markets to access sensitive information due to these political rather than technological barriers.
Some companies now require employees traveling to sensitive locations to use loaner phones or leave company laptops behind, disrupting work routines and lowering productivity. This geopolitical reality contrasts sharply with the early remote work dream of borderless digital nomadism.
Can You Do the Work? New Job Roles within a Geopolitical Context
The third promise—technology enabling individuals to execute their duties regardless of location—also faces challenges as geopolitical factors change work itself.
Managers once focused exclusively on teams, operations, or finances now must navigate a complex web of political considerations. Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, offers a vivid example. Traditionally preferring video game culture over politics, Huang has become a "geopolitical superstar," frequently lobbying world leaders—including those in Washington and Beijing—to facilitate sales of his company’s AI chips, which are deeply entangled in global tech politics.
This trend is widespread. Many companies now establish teams dedicated solely to monitoring political developments and advising leadership on strategic responses—teams that often temporarily drop their core tasks to focus on geopolitical risks.
The complexity of political factors intertwined with business operations makes remote work coordination harder, especially when key employees must be physically engaged with political stakeholders or rapidly adapt to shifting regulatory demands.
The New Reality of Remote Work
While technology has made remote work feasible on a technical level, Fast Company highlights that geopolitics increasingly dictates its contours. Factors including national security, trade disputes, data sovereignty, and political alliances have introduced new limitations on who can work remotely, where they can do so, and the nature of the work itself.
As Srividya Jandhyala, Professor of Management at ESSEC Business School and author of The Great Disruption: How Geopolitics is Changing Companies, Managers, and Work, explains, the future of the workplace is being shaped as much by global power dynamics as by technological innovation.
This geopolitical reality necessitates a rethink of policies, workforce strategies, and day-to-day work practices for companies aspiring to leverage remote work globally. The freedom once envisioned for remote workers faces increasing challenges, and adaptability to this new geopolitical landscape will be crucial for individuals and organizations alike.
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