The Rise of Sovereignty Washing
In 2024 and 2025, the term "sovereignty washing" gained traction as critics exposed how major tech companies—Microsoft, Amazon, and Google—promote "sovereign cloud" solutions that, in reality, offer little more than superficial compliance with local data laws. These corporations market their services as fully independent and locally controlled, but experts argue that true digital sovereignty requires more than just data residency or legal entities in Europe. The core technology, source code, and control mechanisms often remain firmly in the hands of US-based parent companies, leaving European governments and businesses vulnerable to foreign surveillance and legal pressuresnextcloud.com+3.
Nextcloud’s Digital Sovereignty Index, published in 2025, revealed that Big Tech’s "sovereign cloud" promises are frequently undermined by their own legal admissions. For example, Microsoft’s "European Digital Sovereignty Commitments" were revealed to be largely symbolic, with the company admitting under oath that its promises did not guarantee protection from US surveillance lawsnextcloud.com. Similarly, Google’s "cloud air-gapped" service, launched in May 2025, claims to offer "completely isolated" tenancy, but critics question whether such solutions can truly escape the reach of US legislation like the CLOUD Actlawfaremedia.org.
The Global Impact
The phenomenon is not limited to Europe. Lawfare’s analysis warns that sovereignty washing in Europe could set a dangerous precedent for the Global South, where countries are increasingly seeking to assert control over their digital infrastructure. The risk is that these "sovereign" solutions may further centralize power in the hands of a few tech giants, fragmenting the internet and undermining global digital rightslawfaremedia.org.
Scholarly research published in Frontiers in Political Science (2025) highlights the gap between the rhetoric of digital sovereignty and the reality of corporate control. The European Union’s legislation, while ambitious, struggles to keep pace with the technological and legal strategies employed by hyperscalers, leaving member states dependent on foreign providers despite their sovereignty aspirationsfrontiersin.org.
The Dutch Belastingdienst: A Cautionary Tale
The Dutch Belastingdienst (Tax and Customs Administration) recently became a prime example of how public institutions can fall for sovereignty washing. In October 2025, despite repeated warnings from parliament and digital autonomy advocates, the Belastingdienst announced it would migrate all its office automation to Microsoft 365. The decision was justified by the claim that no European alternative could meet the organization’s needs in the foreseeable future.
This move was controversial. The Dutch parliament had repeatedly urged the government to reduce dependence on US tech giants, citing geopolitical risks and the need for digital autonomy. Yet, the Belastingdienst proceeded, arguing that modernizing its outdated on-premises systems was impossible without Microsoft’s cloud services. Critics pointed out that the decision locks the Dutch government into long-term reliance on a US-controlled platform, despite the availability of emerging European alternatives like Nextcloud and other open-source solutions.
Political Parties and the October 2025 Election
The issue of digital sovereignty has become a major topic in the Dutch political landscape, especially in the run-up to the October 2025 elections. Most parties, from GroenLinks-PvdA and NSC to D66, BBB, and the CDA, have included digital sovereignty in their election manifestos.
- GroenLinks-PvdA and NSC have made data sovereignty central to their proposals, calling for the empowerment of chief information officers to ensure strategic data autonomy and reduce reliance on US tech giantscomputerweekly.com.
- D66 advocates for training enough young people for digital jobs and supports policies that strengthen national digital sovereignty, emphasizing the importance of digital literacy and local tech innovationpublicmatters.nl.
- The Party for the Animals (PvdD) frames digital sovereignty as both an ecological and ethical issue, advocating for open and secure infrastructures and analogue backups for essential public serviceswaag.org.
- The CDA has pushed for measures to increase the digital sovereignty of the Netherlands and the EU, questioning the government’s reliance on Microsoft and other US providerstechzine.eu.
Notably, the PVV (Party for Freedom), currently the largest party in the Dutch parliament, has no clear stance on digital affairs or sovereignty, focusing instead on other political prioritiesdutchnews.nl.
The collapse of the Dutch government in June 2025 stalled some of these ambitions, leaving the country’s digital sovereignty agenda in limbocomputerweekly.com.
The Role of Education: OS-SCi’s Contribution
In this context, the educational initiatives of OS-SCi (Open Source Science) can play a crucial role. By offering modular, open-source IT education—such as courses in Linux, software security, and open-source best practices—OS-SCi helps build the technical expertise needed to develop and maintain truly sovereign digital infrastructures. Their programs not only equip students with the skills to work with open-source alternatives but also foster a culture of digital independence and innovation.
OS-SCi’s approach aligns with the long-term goal of reducing dependence on proprietary software and foreign tech giants. By training a new generation of IT professionals in open-source technologies, OS-SCi contributes to the creation of a local talent pool capable of supporting and expanding Europe’s digital sovereignty. This is especially important for government agencies like the Belastingdienst, which currently lack the in-house expertise to transition away from US-controlled platforms.
Why Sovereignty Washing Matters
Sovereignty washing is more than just a marketing ploy—it has real-world consequences. By accepting "sovereign" cloud solutions that are not truly independent, governments and businesses risk:
- Legal Exposure: Data stored in "sovereign" clouds can still be accessed by US authorities under laws like the CLOUD Act.
- Economic Dependence: Funds that could support European tech innovation are instead funneled to US corporations.
- Loss of Control: Critical infrastructure and identity management systems become dependent on foreign entities, creating vulnerabilities in national security and public administrationblog.xot.nl+2.
The Way Forward
To combat sovereignty washing, experts recommend:
- Investing in Open Source: Supporting and developing European open-source alternatives that offer genuine control over data and infrastructure.
- Stricter Regulation: Enforcing transparency and accountability in how tech companies market their "sovereign" solutions.
- Public Procurement Policies: Prioritizing vendors that can demonstrate true independence from foreign control, even if it requires longer transition periods.
- Education and Training: Leveraging institutions like OS-SCi to build the skills needed for a sovereign digital future.
As the Belastingdienst case shows, the allure of convenience and short-term cost savings can overshadow the long-term risks of digital dependence. For Europe—and the world—to achieve real digital sovereignty, it must move beyond empty promises and demand solutions that deliver genuine autonomy.
Bibliography
- Nextcloud. (2025, July 21). Big Tech’s “Sovereign Cloud” promises just collapsed — in their own words. Nextcloud Blog nextcloud.com.
- Xot. (2025, June 18). Sovereignty-washing. Xot Blog blog.xot.nl.
- Lawfare. (2025, October 9). Tech’s ‘Sovereignty Washing’ in Europe Will Ripple in the Global South. Lawfare lawfaremedia.org.
- Frontiers in Political Science. (2025, February 5). The politics of digital sovereignty and the European Union’s legislation: navigating crises. Frontiers frontiersin.org.
- Computable. (2025, October 2). Belastingdienst migreert naar Microsoft 365 ondanks zorg over digitale autonomie. Computable.nl.
- iBestuur. (2025, October 2). Belastingdienst kiest ondanks zorgen toch voor overstap naar Microsoft 365. iBestuur.
- Tweakers. (2025, October 2). Ook fiscus kan geen EU-alternatief voor Microsoft vinden en zet migratie door. Tweakers.
- Computer Weekly. (2025, March 19). Dutch politicians raise concerns over Big Tech reliance. Computer Weekly computerweekly.com.
- DutchNews. (2025, September 17). Inburgering with Dutch News: the 15 biggest political parties. DutchNews.nl dutchnews.nl.
- Waag. (2025). Dutch elections 2025: who will rein in big tech? Waag waag.org.
- Techzine. (2025, May 22). Dutch parliament highly critical of Microsoft’s ICC blockade. Techzine techzine.eu.
- Computer Weekly. (2025). Dutch cloud pioneers face the hard limits of digital sovereignty. Computer Weekly computerweekly.com.
- Public Matters. (2023, November 24). Elections or not: The Netherlands faces a tough digitalization challenge. Public Matters publicmatters.nl.