American digital superiority confuses Europe .. Is it time to separate?

Trump and the European Union

Europe enters a sensitive turning point in its relationship with American technology, after it was devoted to increasing indicators of Washington’s use of its digital superiority as a political pressure tool even on its closest allies.

With the escalation of the influence that giant technology companies are practicing, it is no longer limited to economic domination or technical innovation, but rather exceeded to levels that affect the digital sovereignty of European countries and the independence of their digital decision is undermined.

In light of the old continent’s dependence on American digital infrastructure, from cloud computing services to artificial intelligence and data processing, European anxiety is growing from the fragility of its position in the equation of global technological power. These fears increase with the emergence of indicators on the possibility of employing this digital influence as a geopolitical card, threatening the ability of European governments to fully control their technical data and policies.

In front of this reality, Europe is seeking today to reset its digital balance through strategic projects and strict legislation, which aims to reduce dependency and enhance local innovation, in an attempt to formulate a more independent and sustainable technological future, protecting the continent from falling hostage to external decisions that it does not make, but it may pay its prices.

Exciting realism

In this context, a report by “The New York Times” indicates that when US President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February against the International Criminal Court Prosecutor to investigate Israel on charges of war crimes, Microsoft found itself suddenly in the midst of a geopolitical battle.

For years, Microsoft has provided the court – its headquarters in The Hague in the Netherlands, is carried out by investigations and is being tried by human rights violations, genocide and other crimes of international interest – with digital services such as e -mail. But Trump’s order suddenly disturbed this relationship by preventing American companies from providing services to the Public Prosecutor, Karim Khan.

Soon after, Microsoft, its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, helped stop the email account of Khan with the International Criminal Court, which led to the freezing of his contacts with his colleagues just a few months after the court issued an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because of his country’s actions in Gaza.

Microsoft’s rapid compliance with Trump’s order shocked policy makers all over Europe. It was a warning bell to a much larger problem than just one email account, which raised fears that the Trump administration will take advantage of America’s technological dominance to punish opponents, even in allied countries such as the Netherlands.

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Fears

Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, said the concerns raised by the International Criminal Court case are an “indication” of greater erosion in confidence between the United States and Europe. He added: “The issue of the International Criminal Court has poured oil on a already burning fire.”

“This episode was in many respects” the definitive evidence that many Europeans were looking for, “Casper Cling, a former diplomat in Denmark and the European Union. He added, “This had a profound impact.”

The controversy over technology is aggravated tension in US -European relations on trade, customs duties and war in Ukraine. Trump and his deputy JD Vans criticized how Europe organized American technology companies, and made US officials digital control and taxes part of the ongoing trade negotiations.

European organizers claimed that they need to be able to monitor the largest digital platforms in their countries without worrying that they would face political pressure and sanctions from a foreign government.

American domination

For his part, the academic advisor at the government of “San Jose” in California, Ahmed Banafi, told Sky News Arabia:

• European fears of American technology dominate after a series of incidents that revealed the size of American influence on the digital infrastructure in Europe, most notably the suspension of the email of the International Criminal Court at the request of an American.
• This and other incident deepened European anxiety about the use of the United States for its technological superiority as a geopolitical weapon, exceeding the economic side.
• Europe relies heavily on cloud computing services controlled by American companies such as Microsoft and Google, which exposes its sensitive data to possible interventions by the US government under its laws.
• American technology companies also dominate the areas of innovation, artificial intelligence and data collection, which enhances their ability to influence European markets and policies.

He adds: “European concerns revolve around the loss of digital sovereignty, the increasing cyber risks and the weak competitiveness of European companies against American technology giants, and the danger of technology employment in political pressure.”

In response, Europe has begun to develop alternative strategies to enhance its digital independence, such as investing in a special cloud infrastructure, supporting local companies, and developing alternatives to American technologies. Important legislation such as the Digital Markets Law (DMA) and the Digital Services Law (DSA), as well as enhance the Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

And Banfaf adds: Europe also seeks to enhance research and development, especially in safe artificial intelligence, and increased spending on innovation … and within its plans, enhances cooperation between European countries in strategic projects, and works to build a unified cyber defense, and adjust the business environment to encourage leadership and risk “, noting that Europe in general adopts a long -term path to achieve” digital sovereignty “and reduce dependency For the United States in the technology sector.

European plan

In this context, the European Commission launched a plan aimed at making Europe a better place to care for global technology companies, and to provide support throughout its life cycle, from the startup stage to maturity.

The European Union strategy was launched for startups and expansion at the end of last month, which was called “Choose Europe to start and expand”, another attempt to develop the prosperous technology sector in the region to compete with the sector in the United States, or “make Europe a startup”, as described by the European Commission.

The European Commission says that many emerging companies in the field of European technology are currently fighting to transfer its ideas from the laboratory to the market, or grow to become major players in its markets, and the Commission suggests taking measures across five main areas.

According to a report by Thegeister, these initiatives include the creation of a more suitable environment for innovation with fewer administrative burdens throughout the European Union’s unified market, and the Scaleup EUROPE Fund to help fill the financing gap; The Lab to Unicorn initiative to help link universities throughout the European Union; And attract and retain distinguished talents by advising the stock options for employees and employment across the border; In addition to facilitating access to the infrastructure of startups.

Geopolitical

Professor of computer science, artificial intelligence expert and information technology at Silicon Valley California, Dr. Hussein Al -Omari, tells the “Sky News Arabia Economy” website that there are widespread European fears of the United States employment, during the era of current US President Donald Trump, its technological hegemony as a geopolitical weapon in the face of allies before the opponents; Large technology companies such as Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Anfidia are today a vital digital infrastructure on which European governments depend on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, e -cloud, and even in the education and scientific research sector.

This dependency gives Washington soft but effective pressure papers, especially in times of disputes over economic, defense, or global policies towards China and Russia.

He continues: One of the disturbing examples of the Europeans is what Washington is doing in imposing the restrictions of exporting segments and advanced software or in using privacy regulations and security compliance as economic influence tools. Even in the initiatives of artificial intelligence, the Europeans seemed to take a more independent position, but in reality they do not yet have actual alternatives to American hardware and software.

As for the alternative scenarios that European leaders waved, they revolve in the orbit of “strategic digital independence”, and include:

• Enhancing local innovation by supporting European startups in the fields of computing and artificial intelligence, as France and Germany do with its alternative cloud companies.
• Independent European infrastructure development, such as establishing local databases and European cloud networks (such as the GAIA-X project Reduces dependence on American service providers.
• Deepening cooperation with Asian technical forces: such as South Korea and Japan, to reduce American unilaterals in advanced technologies.
• Adopting joint organizational policies within the European Union to control the work of cross -border technology companies and protect European digital sovereignty.

However – according to Al -Omari – the challenges remain great; The technical gap with the United States is still wide, and alternative projects need years of investment and integration to become effective. Therefore, Europe finds itself today in a critical position: between its awareness of the necessity of freedom from digital dependency, and the difficulty of achieving this in the short term.

And he goes on:

• In light of the acceleration of the global digital transformation, technology control is no longer just industrial or economic superiority, but has become a sovereign tool that defines the balance of power between countries.
• What European leaders face today is not just a technical challenge, but a historical test of their ability to formulate an independent digital civilization project that protects the interests of the continent and enhances its voice in the international multiple system.
• Leaving the scene of American domination without alternative options will not only weaken the European position, but will make the union hostage in battles that he does not make, but it is forced to pay its prices.
• Therefore, the real bet should not only be on innovation or legislation, but on the European political will to unify efforts and bear the cost of digital independence in order to ensure a sovereign and sustainable digital future.

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