'A surprising number of them said, Yes.': Study finds many customers would leave a business which stays loyal to US big tech services

Date:
Tue, 23 Jun 2026 02:20:00 +0000

Description:
New study reveals European consumers are increasingly prioritizing digital sovereignty many will pay a premium to avoid American tech over privacy concerns.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter 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 theyre beginning to view a companys 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. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: Digital sovereignty speaks volumes to consumers This also aligns with
European Commission Eurobarometer data revealing that three-fifths (58%) of the blocs 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. You may like EU to back European alternatives to US dominated software and services in major push for tech sovereignty Our message is simple: Build European, buy European, protect European: European cloud providers join lawmakers and NGOs to end reliance on US hyperscalers Europe wants tech sovereignty but is this realistic?

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 vendors. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

As many as four in five (83%) now worry about societys dependence on Big Tech and how a small number of hyperscalers now dominate the market. Attitudes
have shifted rapidly, Proton says, because of deteriorating US-Europe geopolitical tensions and the continued debate over US surveillance laws
which prevent vendors from being able to fully offer sovereign options.

The US CLOUD Act is a specific worry for European citizens, because it allows US law enforcement to access data held by American technology companies, even if its stored within European data centers.

Customer data use is also a growing concern, where their information may be being used to train AI models that only serve to help those US giants. What
to read next Over 80% of Europeans dont trust US and Chinese businesses to handle their data The EU wants to crack down even further on using US cloud platforms for sensitive government data How Europe is confronting its digital dependency problem The reality of US tech reliance All of this comes amid growing US dependence, with three-quarters (74%) of publicly listed European companies relying on US tech providers, per an earlier Proton report .

Google and Microsoft alone account for 84% of the global office productivity market, with Amazon , Microsoft and Google jointly taking up a 66% of the cloud market. Protons full report details how European providers only hold a collective 15% of the European cloud market.

Buying tech from the US used to seem like a no brainer, Proton COO Raphael Auphan admitted, indicating an understanding of why European consumers are so deeply reliant on US software.

Tariffs on European exports, NATO tensions and American criticism over EU regulation all of which falling under Trumps presidency are to blame, the Swiss company says.

But Auphan now describes relying on US tech as a commercial liability for businesses. It's increasingly clear that consumers care about digital supply chains, and US tech is becoming a weak link.

The EU runs on Microsoft, Finnish MEP Aura Sally said at the 2026 Open Source Policy Summit. The US could turn us off inside one hour.

However, an overnight migration away from US hyperscalers isnt such an easy move, and while Proton is trying to offer some paths with the recent addition of Gmail migration with zero downtime, a full stack move could take years, buying well-funded American tech giants time to come up with more regional solutions to prevent customers from wanting to migrate in the first place. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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