European Consumers Turn Away From US Tech Firms Over Deep Privacy Concerns
A new survey shows that Europeans are increasingly viewing US technology companies as a privacy risk, with 45 percent of respondents in the UK, France, and Germany saying they would avoid businesses that store data with US providers. Four out of five Europeans now consider the use of European technology an important factor when choosing who to buy from or work with. Concerns are driven in part by the US Cloud Act, which allows American authorities to request data from US companies even when stored abroad. Social media, email, and messaging apps are seen as the most privacy‑sensitive services. The findings suggest that reliance on AWS, Microsoft, Google, and Meta is becoming a commercial liability for European businesses. While US platforms remain deeply embedded in Europe, the privacy backlash is spreading from regulators to everyday consumers.