Concerns are mounting in European policy and technology circles over the continent’s heavy reliance on U.S. technology giants, with some experts warning that political tensions could one day threaten access to critical digital infrastructure.
The debate has been fuelled by speculation that an unpredictable American leader, such as U.S. President Donald Trump, might seek to weaponize the dominance of U.S. cloud service providers — Amazon, Microsoft and Google — which together supply around 70% of Europe’s cloud-computing needs. Such a move, some fear, could plunge hospitals, government agencies and businesses into chaos by cutting off access to vital data and services.
“Critical data would become inaccessible, websites would go dark, and essential state services like hospital IT systems would be thrown into disarray,” said Robin Berjon, a digital governance expert advising EU institutions.
The warnings gained new urgency earlier this year when Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), briefly lost access to his Microsoft email account following U.S. sanctions. Although Microsoft denied intentionally cutting off services, the incident sharpened Brussels’ focus on “digital sovereignty” — the capacity to control and protect its own technological infrastructure.
While U.S. companies stress that “sovereign cloud” solutions already safeguard European client data, critics argue that dependency remains a strategic vulnerability. European providers such as France’s OVHCloud and Germany’s T-Systems exist but account for only a small share of the market, lacking the scale of their American rivals.
Still, some governments are taking steps toward independence. The German state of Schleswig-Holstein is phasing out Microsoft products in favor of open-source software such as LibreOffice and Linux, while Denmark’s Ministry for Digitalisation is trialing similar approaches. “It’s a myth to think this can’t be done,” said Dario Maisto, an analyst at consultancy Forrester, predicting a broader shift over the next decade.
Industry leaders argue that European providers are well-positioned to meet sovereignty demands. “Only European cloud providers… can offer immunity to non-European laws and protect sensitive data,” said OVHCloud chief executive Benjamin Revcolevschi.
U.S. firms, however, have moved to reassure clients. Microsoft has pledged legal resistance in the “exceedingly unlikely” event of a government order to cut services, while Google highlights partnerships with European firms such as T-Systems, offering shared control of encryption keys.
Analysts caution that Europe cannot realistically expel U.S. suppliers from its digital ecosystem. Instead, they suggest focusing on areas where the continent holds an advantage, such as industrial applications of artificial intelligence and advanced chipmaking technology.
Former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi recently warned that Europe lags far behind both the U.S. and China in tech competitiveness, with only four of the world’s top 50 technology firms headquartered in the EU.
While few expect Washington to deliberately sever Europe’s internet ties outside of wartime, experts argue the debate itself underscores the need for Europe to accelerate efforts to build its own technological base. “Organisations want to be ready for what might happen,” Maisto said.
