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Microsoft has pledged to safeguard the data of its European clients — even in court — in response to mounting geopolitical and trade tensions arising from the deterioration of transatlantic relations between the United States and Europe. The company affirmed its continued commitment to defending Europe’s digital sovereignty and announced new measures aimed at reinforcing customer trust in American cloud platforms.
These assurances follow growing concerns that, should Donald Trump return to office, data stored in the cloud infrastructures of Microsoft, Google, or AWS could be subject to access by U.S. authorities. Dutch officials have already voiced such apprehensions, and the Dutch parliament has gone so far as to approve eight resolutions urging a transition from American technologies to local alternatives.
Microsoft President Brad Smith acknowledged that Europe remains one of the company’s most vital markets, accounting for a quarter of its global revenue. He pledged “steadfast support” for European customers and unveiled five new digital commitments. Chief among them is a plan to increase European data center capacity by 40% over the next two years. In total, Microsoft is expanding its cloud infrastructure across 16 countries, with the number of data centers on the continent projected to exceed 200 by 2027.
The company is placing particular emphasis on the launch of Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty — a service designed to help governments and institutional clients leverage Azure cloud solutions while maintaining control over data location, encryption, and administrative access. This initiative was finalized in March.
In addition, Microsoft announced that its European data centers will be overseen by a board comprised exclusively of EU citizens. Moreover, should any nation attempt to compel the company to suspend its operations in Europe, Microsoft is prepared to challenge such actions in court — employing “all available legal means.” This pledge will be codified in contracts with national governments and the European Commission, rendering it legally enforceable.
Microsoft is also developing contingency plans for emergencies. For instance, its partners in France and Germany have already been granted rights to ensure the uninterrupted operation of the Bleu and Delos data centers. Backup copies of source code will be stored in Switzerland, with partners granted legal access in the event of necessity.
The company emphasizes that all of these steps are part of a broader strategy to bolster Europe’s digital resilience in an increasingly unstable global landscape. Microsoft has committed to enhancing its security posture, including appointing a dedicated Deputy CISO for Europe, auditing its digital obligations, and ensuring full compliance with forthcoming EU regulations such as the Cyber Resilience Act.
Finally, Microsoft has reiterated its support for open standards and even pledged to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in the open-source domain. For now, however, these remain broad commitments — the company, for example, highlighted its decision to eliminate fees on outbound traffic, though critics have dismissed this as more of a marketing gesture than a substantive change.
As Microsoft marks its 50th anniversary, these pronouncements appear as a concerted effort to signal that the company recognizes the fragility of European trust — and is prepared to act decisively to preserve it, particularly if future U.S. political directions continue to unsettle its allies.
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