Dutch Government Faces Pressure Over Continued Use of American Cloud Services

2025-05-20 data

The Hague, Tuesday, 20 May 2025.
Despite security and privacy concerns, Dutch ministries persist with American cloud services, stirring debates on digital autonomy and technological dependence.

Current State of Cloud Dependency

Dutch government organizations continue to extensively rely on American cloud services such as Microsoft 365 and Azure, despite mounting concerns in parliament [1]. Recent data reveals that nearly 50% of European organizations are storing classified data in public clouds, with 64% reporting an increase in sensitive data storage in these environments [5]. This dependency has become particularly acute in the academic sector, where universities have largely abandoned their own computing infrastructure - a stark contrast to a decade ago when institutions maintained their own computing centers [2].

Security and Sovereignty Concerns

The situation has sparked serious concerns about data sovereignty and national security. José van Dijck, professor at Utrecht University, emphasizes that this isn’t an action against Big Tech but rather a push for digital autonomy [2]. The American Cloud Act presents a particular challenge, as it grants the US government access to data stored on American clouds, even when physically hosted in Europe [2]. This legislative framework has prompted the Netherlands Court of Audit to raise significant concerns about privacy and data sovereignty [3].

Emerging Solutions and Alternatives

In response to these challenges, several initiatives are emerging within the Netherlands. Fundaments B.V., a Dutch IT services provider based in Enschede, has reported a 15% reduction in time to market and a 50% growth in customer base since achieving Sovereign Cloud status [6]. Additionally, the Dutch Open Source Business Alliance has been established to strengthen the country’s digital independence, with companies like Nextcloud joining to support the development of local alternatives [8].

Future Outlook and Transition Challenges

Recent market analysis shows a significant shift in sentiment, with 88% of very large organizations and 63% of EMEA organizations now considering data sovereignty to be ‘very important’ or ‘extremely important’ [6]. A parliamentary motion has been passed to create backup communication solutions for vital services [4], though the transition faces substantial challenges. Migration timelines are expected to span months or years [5], and organizations must balance the need for sovereignty with operational efficiency [alert! ‘specific timeline for complete transition not specified in sources’].

Bronnen

Cloud Security