Across Europe, both private companies and public administrations are rethinking their cloud strategies, seeking credible alternatives to services hosted in the United States amid heightened concerns about security, data sovereignty, and the potential for political influence over critical infrastructure. Wired, a leading tech publication, has highlighted this trend as it grows across sectors and regions. (Source: Wired)
Within European policy circles, voices connected to the European Parliament have pressed for a deliberate reduction of reliance on American technology to shield European interests. The push is framed around protecting sensitive data, strengthening supply-chain resilience, and pursuing greater digital autonomy in essential services. (Source: EU policy analyses)
EU officials argue that confidentiality and stability are at risk when core workloads reside on the major public-cloud platforms—Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. The concentration of control among a small number of global vendors raises questions about data governance, encryption autonomy, and compliance with GDPR and national data-residency rules. (Source: EU policy analyses)
Exoscale, based in Switzerland, and Elastx, headquartered in Sweden, report rising inquiries and pilots from customers eager to move away from American providers. Their experience mirrors a broader demand for cloud environments that promise stronger sovereignty, localized data centers, and clearer alignment with European regulations. (Source: Exoscale press disclosures; Elastx press disclosures)
Wired notes that a complete abandonment of American cloud services would be a lengthy, technically demanding undertaking. The migration of workloads, the transfer of data, and the need to preserve interoperability across business processes require careful planning and significant investment. (Source: Wired)
The Washington Post noted on March 23 that European politicians worry about disruptions stemming from U.S. policy actions that could affect NATO allies. The reporting described a climate of caution as policymakers weigh how shifts in policy or sanctions might influence defense cooperation and cross-border data exchange. (Source: The Washington Post)
Earlier public statements and recurring political rhetoric in the United States have further fueled uncertainty among European stakeholders. In this context, discussions about cloud strategy increasingly center on data sovereignty and strategic autonomy as organizations decide where their workloads should reside. (Source: The Washington Post)