The Cloud in Balance: Navigating Regulations and Risks in 2025

The cloud is no longer a vision of the future, but the indispensable backbone of modern businesses and government agencies. Whether you are a startup looking to scale quickly, an established enterprise aiming to optimize its processes, or a government organization seeking to improve its services, chances are your data and applications are running in the cloud. But in 2025, the choice between private and public cloud, and especially the origin of that public cloud, is central to a growing conflict between different regulations and geopolitical interests. This is no longer an abstract discussion; it is a concrete reality that influences the strategic decisions of organizations around the world, and particularly in the Netherlands. This blog post delves deep into these developments and presents GLBNXT as the strategic partner for a secure, sovereign, and innovative cloud solution.

The Appeal of the Public Cloud:

A Historical Overview and Growing Concerns about Sovereignty

The public cloud, offered by giants like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), has conquered the market with its scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency. These American companies have accelerated digitalization and enabled new business models, and their dominance has led to rapid adoption of cloud technologies in the Netherlands, particularly in the financial sector, healthcare, and government. However, the appeal of the public cloud is increasingly overshadowed by a fundamental concern: the potential influence of governments on data and systems.

This concern is not limited to American providers. Large Chinese platforms and software and hardware vendors, such as Huawei, Alibaba Cloud, and Tencent, are also increasingly offering cloud services. While these companies may seem like attractive alternatives, they bring similar risks. In both cases, the legislation of the country of origin may require providers to share data with the government, regardless of where that data is located.

The US Cloud Act and Executive Order 14086 are prominent examples, but China also has laws that enable comparable access to data. This means that organizations that rely on these providers risk their data being exposed to foreign influence and control, undermining privacy, intellectual property, and strategic autonomy. The choice of a cloud provider is therefore not just a technical decision, but a strategic consideration with significant geopolitical implications. History teaches us that governments, regardless of their political system, tend to seek access to data that is strategically important, and the public cloud offers a potential access point.

The Emerging Concerns:

Hyper-Scaler Cloud Providers Under the Microscope – A Legal and Geopolitical Perspective

The dominant position of American cloud providers raises increasing concerns in 2025, no longer just as theoretical risks, but as concrete threats to data sovereignty and digital autonomy. Recent reporting confirms this trend. The Register reports that Europe is reconsidering its dependence on American cloud infrastructure, partly due to growing concerns about data access by US authorities. TechCrunch reports on Y Combinator’s call to the White House to support Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), precisely because the current dominance of American tech companies hinders innovation and centralizes control over data. And the Financial Times reveals growing tensions over the interpretation and enforcement of US legislation, which could potentially undermine access to data from European companies. These articles emphasize that the Cloud Act and Executive Order 14086 are not merely legal details; they represent a fundamental shift in the balance of power and control over data, and create a geopolitical context in which European organizations are becoming increasingly vulnerable. The discussion is shifting from ‘if’ to ‘how’ we protect ourselves against unauthorized access to data and maintain control over our digital future.

• The Cloud Act: This legislation gives US authorities the power to demand access to data stored on servers of US companies, regardless of where those servers are located. This means that even data from European companies, stored in European data centers, could potentially be accessible to US governments. This undermines the principles of data sovereignty and privacy that are highly valued in Europe.

• Executive Order 14086: This order, aimed at improving US cybersecurity, has led to stricter requirements for cloud providers and could lead to restrictions on access to US cloud services for certain countries and organizations. This creates uncertainty and can hinder international trade and cooperation.

• The Chinese Cybersecurity Law (2017) and the National Intelligence Law (2017): These laws require Chinese companies to cooperate with intelligence services and provide data if requested. This has led to international concerns about the security of data stored on Chinese servers, and to conflicts such as the ban on Huawei in various countries due to concerns about espionage and national security. The situation surrounding TikTok, where the US government threatened to ban the app if it was not separated from ByteDance (the Chinese parent company), illustrates the concrete consequences of this legislation and the geopolitical tensions associated with it.

These developments raise serious questions about data sovereignty, privacy, the protection of intellectual property, and the strategic autonomy of European organizations. Companies and governments that rely on non-EU cloud providers risk their data being exposed to foreign influence and control.

The Dutch Reality: Action and Consequences – A National Interest and the Role of GLBNXT

Concerns about dependence on American cloud providers are acute in the Netherlands. RTL Nieuws reports that the Dutch government, despite billions of euros invested in Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, is now critically examining the risks of this dependence. Municipalities are actively reconsidering the use of Microsoft Copilot, as recently announced by the VNG, and State Secretary Dijkstra has recently indicated that running AI models locally within the government is supported (iBestuur). This is no longer a theoretical discussion; concrete steps are being taken to regain control over data and minimize risks.

GLBNXT positions itself as the ideal partner in this changing landscape. We understand the specific challenges facing Dutch organizations and offer a cloud solution that is fully tailored to their needs. Our focus is on providing data sovereignty, compliance, and independence from hyperscaler cloud providers.

AI: The New Engine of Efficiency and Innovation

But with Safeguards and GLBNXT's European Approach

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is undeniably the new engine of efficiency and innovation for governments and industry. The potential to automate processes, improve decision-making, generate new insights, and significantly increase efficiency is enormous. From optimizing traffic flows to improving healthcare, the applications are endless. However, the explosive demand for AI solutions makes the issue of the underlying cloud infrastructure more urgent than ever.

Ironically, the growing need for AI can actually increase the demand for public cloud services, as many AI models are computationally intensive and benefit from the scalability of the public cloud. This creates a paradox: pursuing innovation through AI can unintentionally increase the risks associated with dependence on hyperscaler cloud providers, with all the legal and geopolitical implications that entails. Access to data and control over algorithms are thereby jeopardized.

GLBNXT eliminates this paradox. We offer a unique solution by building and hosting our advanced AI solutions on our own, fully private cloud infrastructure, based within the European Union. This means you can benefit from the powerful capabilities of AI – from Large Language Models to advanced data analysis – without the risks associated with sharing your data with hyperscaler cloud providers. Our LLMs run on dedicated hardware, giving us complete control over the data, algorithms, and security. GLBNXT therefore offers not only AI, but a sovereign AI solution that protects your data and safeguards your strategic autonomy.

The Alternatives: Private Cloud and European Cloud Providers

A Strategic Choice and GLBNXT's Positioning

Given the risks and the potential of AI, more and more organizations are reconsidering their cloud strategy. Two important alternatives emerge:

• Private Cloud: A private cloud is a cloud infrastructure reserved exclusively for one organization. This offers maximum control over data and security, but requires significant investment in hardware, software, and expertise. It is an attractive option for organizations with very specific security requirements and a large IT budget.

• European Cloud Providers: A growing number of European companies offer cloud services that operate entirely within the European Union. These providers are subject to European legislation and offer an alternative to the risks associated with American cloud providers.

GLBNXT positions itself as the leading European cloud provider, combining the benefits of both worlds. We offer the flexibility and scalability of the public cloud, combined with the security and control of a private cloud, and the guarantee of data sovereignty.

GLBNXT: Your European AI Cloud Partner

An Independent and Secure Solution with Concrete Benefits

GLBNXT offers a powerful and complete solution for organizations looking for a secure, compliant, and reliable cloud environment. We offer a cloud solution based on a 100% European infrastructure, fully compliant with the GDPR and other relevant European regulations.

What makes GLBNXT different:

• 100% European Ownership & Operation: GLBNXT is a 100% European company, with data centers and operations entirely within the EU. This guarantees that your data is protected by European legislation and is not subject to foreign influence.

• Data Sovereignty: Your data remains within the borders of the European Union, protected by European legislation.

• No Non-EU Government Access: We guarantee that non-EU authorities do not have access to your data.

• GDPR Compliance: Our services are designed to meet the highest requirements of the GDPR.

• European AI Solutions: GLBNXT offers AI solutions based on a 100% European operation, including data centers, processing power, and Large Language Models (LLMs) that run on dedicated hardware.

• Independence: GLBNXT offers its solutions completely independently of any hyperscaler cloud provider. This gives you the freedom to choose a solution that meets your specific needs and requirements.

• Cybersecurity: GLBNXT integrates advanced cybersecurity measures into all its solutions, protecting your data from the latest threats.

• Scalability and Flexibility: Benefit from the advantages of the cloud, without the risks.

• Dedicated Support: Our team of experts is ready to help you with the migration and management of your cloud environment.

The Future of the Cloud is European – A Strategic Imperative

In 2025, it is clear that the cloud is no longer a one-size-fits-all solution. The choice of a cloud provider is a strategic decision that takes into account data sovereignty, privacy, compliance, and geopolitical risks. GLBNXT offers the certainty, control, and independence you need to succeed in the digital world, without the risks of non-EU cloud providers. We offer not only a cloud infrastructure, but a complete ecosystem of European technology that enables you to innovate and grow with confidence.

To explore how GLBNXT can tailor these solutions to your organization, contact@glbnxt.com or sign up for early access.

References

Overheidsdiensten enorm afhankelijk van Amerikaanse cloud: 'Hoofd op hakblok gelegd'

Gemeenten heroverwegen inzet Microsoft Copilot

Staatssecretaris steunt alsnog lokaal draaien AI-modellen binnen de overheid

Under Trump 2.0, Europe's dependence on US clouds back under the spotlight

Y Combinator urges the White House to support Europe’s Digital Markets Act

Europe’s dependence on US tech is a critical weakness

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