May 31, 2025

Reliance on U.S. cloud services by Dutch government greater than previously thought

The Dutch government, provinces, municipalities, and vital industries rely far more heavily on American cloud services than previously disclosed, exposing sensitive data to potential U.S. surveillance. NOS identified 1,722 websites belonging to Dutch governmental and semi-governmental bodies or critical companies that depend on at least one U.S.-based cloud provider.

This includes not only websites but also email services and internal communications. Experts warn that this reliance poses a major risk, particularly in the event of political conflict with the United States. Among the government entities using American cloud services are nine of the 15 Dutch ministries.

The dependency is especially high among Dutch municipalities. NOS earlier reported that two-thirds of municipalities use Microsoft email servers. However, updated analysis shows that only Hardinxveld-Giessendam does not use any American cloud service. All Dutch provinces rely on U.S. cloud infrastructure.

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