A dead deal: The American Guarantee Wobbles
The recent analysis of Simple Analytics Let there be no doubt: The latest EU-US data agreement is seriously faltering. Under the guise of privacy protection, a weak foundation has been laid, which is now increasingly crumbling under pressure from American political forces. The appointment of a Data Protection Review Court was already a weakness, but Trump's recent threat to further erode that structure makes one thing painfully clear: the US cannot or does not want to provide structural protection for European personal data.
“We don’t have a deal, we have false security.”
Illegal cloud services? It sounds absurd, but...
If the legal safeguards under the Transatlantic data traffic expire, the hosting of personal data in U.S. cloud services may be formally contrary to the GDPR. That sounds like legal bullshit, but it's potentially explosive for organizations that rely on services like Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, or Amazon Web Services. The Schrems II ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU in 2020 already made this clear: without appropriate safeguards, retransmission is illegal. And now those safeguards are in jeopardy.
“What is a compliance risk today may become a legal time bomb tomorrow.”
Political Realism or Principled Turning Point?
Will politics really have the courage to push this to the legal consequence? That remains the question. The economic interests are huge, the lobbies powerful, and awareness low. But that shouldn't be an excuse for inertia. Right now, when the US is undermining its commitments, is the time for the EU to take its digital autonomy seriously. The question is not if, but when this will explode again in a lawsuit or sanction.
“Those who keep hoping for a good ending forget that this is a script without writers.”
The Call: Digitize European, Think Local
The urgency is crystal clear: Organizations need to take digital sovereignty seriously. This means investing in European alternatives to data storage, analytics, communication and infrastructure. Not because it has to be done by Brussels, but because it is strategically, ethically and economically sensible. What still feels like ‘hassle’ today may be the difference between trust and loss of your customer base tomorrow.
“Sovereignty begins where convenience gives way to principles.”
Finally: This Is Not Alarmism, This Is Realism
For too long, we have relied on fragile bridges across the Atlantic. It's time to strengthen the foundations on this side of the ocean. There are alternatives. It's time to choose. Not tomorrow, but today.
“Digital independence is not a luxury. It is a responsibility.”
English (UK)