Europe’s digital backbone runs through American cloud servers. With Trump looming over the 2024 U.S. election, EU officials are worried about just how easy it might be for Washington to pull the plug.
If you wanted a clearer picture of how exposed Europe’s internet infrastructure is, look no further than the cloud. Not the weather kind — the kind that runs your emails, powers your government’s data, fuels factories, and streams your favorite shows. And most of it lives in America.
The U.S. Controls the Infrastructure. Europe Just Rents It.
Across Europe, everything from tax records to TikTok clips depends on a few tech giants. And here’s the kicker: those giants — Amazon, Microsoft, and Google — answer to Washington, not Brussels.
At last count, the big three American cloud providers made up over two-thirds of the European market. That’s not just a commercial concern anymore. That’s a geopolitical liability.
And it’s not hypothetical either. When the U.S. sanctioned officials at the International Criminal Court earlier this year over Israeli war crimes warrants, one of the first things that happened? The court’s top prosecutor lost access to her Microsoft email.
One sentence says it all: Washington can flip the switch. Europe can’t stop it.
EU Sidelined in Its Own Backyard
Brussels has been making noise about digital sovereignty for years. But talk is cheap, and data storage isn’t.
Despite efforts to build a European cloud ecosystem — think GAIA-X or France’s push for OVHcloud — the American platforms still dominate. Their scale, efficiency, and existing global infrastructure are just too hard to beat.
And while EU lawmakers fine these companies over privacy breaches and antitrust violations, the firms themselves are quietly deepening ties with U.S. political power brokers.
As one senior European official put it bluntly: “We can sue Big Tech. But we still need them to keep the lights on.”
What Terrifies Brussels About Trump’s Second Term
The EU’s concern isn’t abstract anymore. Trump 2.0 feels close, and folks in Brussels remember the chaos of his first term. Trade wars. Tariff threats. NATO rants.
Now imagine that energy — but directed at Europe’s internet infrastructure.
Zach Meyers, a director at CERRE, a think tank based in Brussels, didn’t mince words: “Trump genuinely hates Europe. He thinks the EU was designed to screw over America.”
That mindset makes a disturbing scenario much more plausible. One executive order from the White House could theoretically limit, suspend, or throttle access to critical cloud services — all in the name of national security or economic leverage.
It’s not far-fetched anymore. And that’s the scary part.
What Would a Trump Cloud Freeze Actually Look Like?
Let’s break it down. What could Trump, or any future U.S. administration, actually do with all that leverage? Here’s a simplified table of possibilities:
| Scenario | Realistic? | Immediate Impact | EU’s Control? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary suspension of European government access to U.S.-based cloud platforms | Yes | Severe disruption to public services | None |
| U.S. agencies demand access to sensitive EU data stored in American servers | Already happening under CLOUD Act | Privacy breach, legal headaches | Minimal |
| Revocation of licenses for European cloud providers using U.S. infrastructure | Possible with sanctions | Financial and operational chaos | None |
| Order to delete or block data based on U.S. foreign policy interests | Extreme but not impossible | Diplomatic firestorm | No recourse |
In short: America owns the pipes. Europe just hopes they stay on.
Why Local Cloud Isn’t Scaling Fast Enough
The EU has tried to fix this. But building cloud infrastructure takes time, talent, and — let’s be honest — money.
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OVHcloud is growing, but not fast enough to eat into AWS or Azure’s share.
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GAIA-X, the flagship European project for a “sovereign” cloud, has been marred by delays, infighting, and U.S. companies joining the project anyway.
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National efforts in Germany, France, and Spain remain fragmented.
And because most of Europe’s startups, hospitals, and public agencies already rely on American providers, the cost of switching isn’t just financial — it’s functional.
One EU digital affairs advisor summed it up with a shrug: “We’re addicted.”
EU’s Legal Weapons Are Blunt
Even with powerful privacy laws like GDPR and a growing toolbox of digital regulation, the EU still struggles to enforce its rules on infrastructure that doesn’t sit on its soil.
Washington, meanwhile, operates under the CLOUD Act, which lets U.S. agencies demand access to data stored abroad — as long as it’s held by a U.S.-based company. That means even if your server is sitting pretty in Frankfurt or Milan, Uncle Sam might still have the keys.
And there’s little Europe can do about it — short of building its own cloud from scratch or rewriting international treaties.
Neither is happening anytime soon.
What’s at Stake Isn’t Just Tech. It’s Sovereignty.
Digital sovereignty isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the 21st-century version of energy independence or food security. Without it, Europe is vulnerable not just to spying or leaks — but to geopolitical blackmail.
And it’s not just about Trump.
Future U.S. administrations, regardless of party, may continue to see the internet as a tool of statecraft. The question isn’t if Washington will flex that muscle — it’s how and when.
