Digital sovereignty is no longer an abstract concept
Imagine: You're an internationally respected lawyer, chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC), and suddenly you can't access your email anymore. Not because you forgot your password or your account was hacked. No, because a foreign power – the United States – has decided that you should no longer have access to your own communications. That's what happened to Karim Khan., Chief Prosecutor at the ICC, after the US imposed sanctions against him over investigations into alleged US war crimes.
Sovereignty means nothing if your data is controlled by someone with a red button.
Microsoft as a geopolitical tool
Khan's email turned out to be hosted by Microsoft. No obscure party, no unclear infrastructure – just one of the world’s largest technology companies, headquartered in the US. It is not the first time Microsoft has made the news as an extension of US interests, but this example is extremely illustrative. As a result of the sanctions, Khan lost access to his Microsoft account, which means that he partially lost his digital identity.
Anyone who can deny you access to your data has the actual power.
Sovereignty starts with IT choices
This case underscores an inconvenient truth: Countries, organizations, and individuals that rely on U.S. cloud providers expose themselves to unilateral decisions that have nothing to do with the rule of law in which they live or work. Choosing a cloud provider is no longer a matter of price or convenience. It is a choice that touches on autonomy, legal certainty and sometimes even human rights.
The cloud is not a neutral place. it is territory with laws, interests and sometimes sanctions.
European alternatives exist – and are needed
The bitter thing is that there are now European alternatives that put privacy, independence and legal certainty first. Think of Nextcloud, Proton, Tutanota, Tresorit or even the European translation service of the European Commission. Yet many governments, businesses and even courts continue to cling to Big Tech. Not because it has to, but because it has ‘just grown so much’.
Dependence is rarely the result of bad intentions, but often of laziness.
What you can do – as a professional and citizen
As a data engineer, architect or policy maker, you can make a difference. Ask yourself where your data lives. Look at your suppliers, your hosting partners, your mail services. Is your digital infrastructure resilient to geopolitical pressures? Or can your access be disabled one day, at the touch of a button?
Sovereignty doesn't start in The Hague or Brussels, but with every choice you make in your tech stack.
English (UK)