An alert on the vulnerability of European countries to American cloud providers has been raised in a report by the Future of Technology Institute. This dependence is also a concern for economist Jean Tirole in terms of democracy.
According to a report published by the Future of Technology Institute (FOTI), over three-quarters of European countries rely on American cloud services for functions related to their national security. This massive dependence raises not only technological efficiency questions but also strategic ones.
The study, based on the analysis of public data from European defense ministries, media, and public markets, identifies 23 out of 28 countries whose security systems are based on American technologies, including those of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, or Oracle. Among them, 16 countries present a high risk of a potential “kill switch,” a mechanism that would allow the US administration to remotely cut access to essential digital services in case of political tensions.
This scenario, once theoretical, is now being seriously considered. The report comes at a time of geopolitical tensions, marked by the war in Ukraine and uncertainties related to American politics. The former Ukrainian president, where certain services such as satellite images were suspended after a political dispute, is cited as a tangible warning signal.
Beyond the risk of cutoff, researchers point out worrisome legal dependencies. Even so-called “sovereign” cloud offerings proposed by American giants are insufficient to alleviate concerns. Under the 2018 Cloud Act, American authorities can demand access to data held by American companies, even when stored on servers in Europe. This is in addition to the possibility of restrictions on security updates in case of sanctions.
A vulnerability highlighted by Jean Tirole
This technical and legal vulnerability aligns with the analysis of Jean Tirole, Nobel Laureate in Economics, who warns about the political consequences of such data sharing. In an interview with La Dépêche on Tuesday, he emphasized that European citizens are already entrusting sensitive information like health, opinions, and personal relationships to foreign platforms. Potential access to this data by American authorities could undermine European democracies, opening the door to manipulation or political pressure.
In response to these risks, some countries are attempting to develop national or European alternatives. France emphasizes its sovereignty strategy, incorporating investments in digital infrastructure, space, and emerging technologies like quantum. However, the transition remains slow, as the American technological ecosystem dominates the global market.
The issue transcends mere industrial questions. It involves a trade-off between immediate technological performance and long-term strategic autonomy. As international tensions escalate, this dependence could turn into a leverage point, or even a critical flaw for the security and political stability of the continent.
