"Digital infrastructure is no longer just an industry; it is strategic power. Search engines shape access to knowledge. Cloud platforms host government data. Operating systems underpin public services. When those layers are controlled abroad, so is a slice of Europe's economic and political autonomy."
"And yet dependence is reinforced daily through routine decisions. Public institutions continue to default to foreign platforms. Procurement rules favour incumbents. Civil servants upload public data into non-European systems. None of this is inevitable. It is the result of choices."
"Across France, Germany and Spain, majorities say enforcement of rules on large technology companies is too weak rather than too strict, and roughly half of respondents in those countries believe major tech firms are as powerful as - or more powerful than - the European Union itself."
European leaders consistently advocate for digital sovereignty and reducing reliance on foreign technology through speeches, strategies, and frameworks. However, implementation consistently falls short despite technological feasibility. Digital infrastructure represents strategic power—search engines control knowledge access, cloud platforms host government data, and operating systems support public services. When controlled abroad, these systems compromise Europe's economic and political autonomy. Daily institutional decisions reinforce dependence: public institutions default to foreign platforms, procurement rules favor incumbents, and civil servants upload public data into non-European systems. Public sentiment increasingly opposes Big Tech dominance, with majorities across France, Germany, and Spain believing enforcement is too weak. Trust in the tech sector remains fragile, with citizens expressing privacy concerns and recognizing platform power.
#digital-sovereignty #european-technology-independence #big-tech-regulation #implementation-gap #public-sentiment
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]