EU defence cloud reliance poses US 'kill switch' risk

A Brussels think tank has issued a stark warning that the European Union's defence capabilities are at risk due to over-reliance on US technology. The report states that over three-quarters of European countries depend on US cloud giants like Microsoft, AWS, Google, and Oracle for critical defence systems and data storage. While no literal 'kill switch' is confirmed, the report highlights that US legal powers, such as the CLOUD Act, could compel these companies to hand over data or disrupt services, compromising European sovereignty. This dependency creates a significant strategic vulnerability for EU security and defence autonomy.