- Many European consumers actively avoid American tech giants for privacy reasons
- Social media and cloud storage are priorities for consumers
- EU companies only have 15% of the European cloud market
Four in five European consumers say it matters whether or not businesses use European technology, confirming that digital sovereignty has now become a priority for the masses.
A study by Proton of 3,000 UK, France and Germany consumers shows that they’re beginning to view a company’s digital infrastructure as part of its brand and values, rather than a back-office decision that has no impact on customers.
As a result, nearly half (45%) said they would actively avoid companies that store customer data with US firms, with more concern over privacy and security than price or quality.
Digital sovereignty speaks volumes to consumers
This also aligns with European Commission ‘Eurobarometer’ data revealing that three-fifths (58%) of the bloc’s citizens would be willing to switch to an EU-based digital service provider, even if that meant paying a higher fee.
The report argues this reliance on US hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft, Google and Meta can no longer be seen as a neutral business decision in the eyes of European customers, who are increasingly concerned over privacy, surveillance and geopolitical dependence.
Social media (48%), email (46%), messaging apps (40%) and other services that directly handle personal communications and information were seen as the most at-risk among consumers, Proton found. Other than communications, cloud storage (38%) was another great worry, along with browsers (31%).
Two in three (65%) now also believe that European small businesses should prioritize European tech providers over US ones, and not from a supporting local companies point of view. Consumers are more interested by sovereignty, keeping investments within Europe and reducing reliance on foreign tech…
