June 2, 2025

European cloud providers play the sovereign card

The CLOUD act, enacted in 2018, allows US authorities to compel technology companies based in the US to provide them with data stored on their servers anywhere in the world.

The law meant that any European or UK company using US-based tech service-providers have lived with the possibility that their data may be accessed by US authorities. Whether simple file storage, SaaS application, or any use of the thousands of variations of computing services offered by US companies, data could be handed over to US federal law enforcement authorities.

During the period of entente cordiale between Europe and the US that’s existed since the beginning of the 20th century, it was difficult to imagine how such an extra-national law may have had negative ramifications for any non-American company that was operating legally and in good faith.

But the first few months of the Trump presidency have strained, if not fractured much of the century-long spirit of co-operation between the US and many European countries.

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