Donald Trump's return to the White House reveals Europe's vulnerability: the United States holds the "off switch" for Europe's internet, warns Politico. Dependence on US tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google, which according to the server control over two-thirds of the European cloud services market, gives Washington a powerful weapon in the geopolitical game.

Cloud computing is the backbone of the internet - from email to streaming video to industrial data and government communications. Europe's dependence on US providers means that Europeans' sensitive data stored on US-owned servers may be under scrutiny by US agencies thanks to laws there such as the Cloud Act, Politico reports. With Trump's policies rapidly changing the rules, there is growing concern that the US could abuse this dominance.

"Trump has a grudge against Europe. He thinks the purpose of the EU is to 'screw' America," řekl pro Politico Zach Meyers, Director of Research at the CERRE think-tank in Brussels. "The idea that he could order a cloud shutdown doesn't sound so unlikely anymore," He added. An example is the case of the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, who, according to Politico, was blocked from accessing email on Microsoft's server after US sanctions because of a warrant for the arrest of Israeli officials.

European politicians and experts warn of the risks. "We can no longer assume that we can fully rely on an American partner," said the German MEP Matthias Ecke. Head of the French company OVHcloud Benjamin Revcolevschi likened the cloud to a water tap that can be turned off at any time, Politico reports. While Microsoft and Amazon have vowed to fight the order to cut off services, experts doubt whether the companies could defy the White House, the site says.

Europe is looking for alternatives. The "EuroStack" initiative proposes investing €300 billion in Europe's digital infrastructure to make the EU self-sufficient, Politico reports. The aim is to favour European companies in public procurement and fund domestic technology. "There's nothing unusual about this, the US has been using similar tools for decades," write the authors of the initiative. Critics warn, however, that the costs could reach up to five trillion euros.

The EU is considering a new cybersecurity certificate that would protect European data from foreign laws, limiting the influence of US companies. France supports the move, while the Netherlands, traditionally pro-American, is hesitant. Brussels is facing pressure from the US, which is lobbying the proposal not to damage transatlantic relations, Politico reports.

"Europe blindly believed that the US would always be on its side," řekla pro server Francesca Bria from University College London. "Now the situation is different." The EU faces the challenge of securing digital sovereignty without triggering retaliation from Trump, Politico concludes.

Politico/gnews.cz - GH