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   With Trump sanctions beginning to bite, which EU countries rely the most on   
   American tech? The answers (honestly) might surprise you   
      
   Date:   
   Mon, 25 Aug 2025 16:03:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   European firms overwhelmingly depend on American digital infrastructure,   
   leaving vital industries exposed to foreign oversight, surveillance risks,   
   talent drain, and geopolitical leverage.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   For years, European governments and corporations leaned heavily on American   
   technology offerings instead of nurturing local alternatives.    
      
   That choice now carries visible consequences, as sanctions and shifting trade   
   rules brought in by the Trump administration drastically reshape the balance   
   of power.    
      
   A recent analysis of business email domains across Europe by Proton shows a   
   striking majority of publicly listed firms rely on American providers such as   
   Google and Microsoft.   
      
   Data reveals the depth of reliance    
      
   Behind the rhetoric of digital sovereignty, the reality is that much of   
   Europes digital infrastructure rests on technology stacks that entities   
   outside its borders control. This is not just about convenience software but   
   also about essential systems that underpin finance, healthcare, and    
   utilities.    
      
   Email may appear mundane, but it often serves as the gateway to office   
   software , online collaboration platforms, and cloud-based storage.    
      
   When a company commits to a provider for email, it usually adopts the full   
   suite, embedding foreign technology deep into its operations.    
      
   This trend is not limited to smaller economies but also includes the   
   continents largest players, where dependence cuts across industries from   
   energy and telecommunications to pharmaceuticals.    
      
   In countries like Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden, over 90% of publicly   
   listed companies rely on American services for email and related   
   infrastructure.    
      
   However, the shocker is probably Ireland, which is at loggerheads with the US   
   on several policies, but 93% of its businesses depend on American tech.    
      
   The UK, although mostly an ally of the US, has an alarming 88% of businesses   
   relying on US tech, while other European heavyweights like Spain, Portugal,   
   and Switzerland recorded 74%, 72%, and 68% of businesses relying on US tech,   
   respectively.    
      
   Even France, which often champions its own autonomy, sees two out of three   
   (66%) companies tied to US providers.    
      
   Eastern European countries like Bulgaria (16%) and Romania (39%) are the    
   least dependent on American tech, and Russia is not even on the list of   
   nations dependent on the US.    
      
   National security concerns emerge when utilities, transport systems, and   
   healthcare facilities communicate through networks governed by foreign   
   jurisdictions, but perhaps not when the network belongs to the US.    
      
   The reliance stretches far beyond convenience; it embeds itself in the very   
   systems Europeans use every day - dependence on foreign technology does not   
   just present a financial vulnerability; it raises questions about   
   surveillance, geopolitical leverage, and the future of innovation.    
      
   AI training programs outside Europes control can sweep in sensitive business   
   data, while reliance on external platforms exposes companies to warrantless   
   legal demands.    
      
   This arrangement has also fostered a talent and capital drain, as engineers   
   and investors direct their focus toward Silicon Valley rather than   
   strengthening European ecosystems, whether through proprietary services or   
   alternative Linux distros .    
      
   Some argue that American technology simply offers the best tools available,   
   which may be true in terms of efficiency and global reach, yet the   
   consequences of reliance are increasingly hard to ignore, since the US can   
   turn off the switch at any time, and thousands of companies will be in    
   crisis.    
      
   The fact that so many European firms cannot operate without American software   
   demonstrates the fragile nature of Europes autonomy.    
      
   Rather than securing independence, Europe risks locking itself further into   
   external dependencies at a moment when political winds in Washington are   
   shifting.   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/with-trump-sanctions-beginning-to-bite-which-eu-   
   countries-rely-the-most-on-american-tech-the-answers-honestly-might-surprise-y   
   ou   
      
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