Europe pursues digital sovereignty to reduce US tech dependence

European digital sovereignty is increasingly viewed as a strategic necessity to ensure data security, legal certainty, and long-term competitiveness. A primary concern for European industry is the heavy reliance on non-European providers, particularly US-based hyperscalers, for cloud computing, software-as-a-service, and artificial intelligence.

This dependency introduces legal risks, such as the US CLOUD Act, which may compel providers under US jurisdiction to disclose data even if stored in Europe. Such requirements can create conflicts with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Achieving sovereignty requires the ability to make independent decisions regarding data, technologies, and digital dependencies.

While open-source solutions are considered a fundamental pillar for maintaining independence and auditability, experts emphasize that they must be implemented with high standards of quality. To be effective, open-source adoption must prioritize maintainability, governance, code security, and long-term sustainability rather than being used as a mere substitute for proprietary software.