Europe faces strategic dependency on US cloud and web security

European leaders and industry experts are increasingly viewing digital sovereignty as a strategic necessity rather than a technical concern. At VivaTech 2026, discussions highlighted that over 70% of European cloud infrastructure relies on American providers, creating a potential strategic dependency for the continent's economy and decision-making capabilities.

This shift in perception is driven by recent geopolitical tensions, including export controls, trade sanctions, and restricted access to artificial intelligence technologies. Companies like SAP have noted a growing awareness among clients that the era of guaranteed open access to global technological platforms may be ending.

Furthermore, the underlying security of the internet remains heavily centralized in the United States. The global trust infrastructure for secure web connections relies on a small number of private certificate authorities and four major browser vendors: Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Mozilla. These private entities hold the power to decide which authorities are trusted, a capability that has previously forced major industry players to sell their certificate businesses after losing recognition from dominant actors like Google.