Netherlands turns to European cloud in push to reduce reliance on US tech

The Dutch government has signed a contract with European cloud provider STACKIT, paving the way for ministries and public agencies to shift their data to a Europe-based system and reduce reliance on American tech giants.

Under the agreement, government data will be stored within the European Union, with safeguards in place to ensure compliance. Authorities will also retain the right to verify that the company adheres to these conditions, as Dutch media reports.

The deal forms part of a broader push by the Netherlands to take greater control over where its data is held and who can access it. It follows repeated warnings from regulators that the country is overly dependent on US technology providers.

The contract also includes contingency measures in case STACKIT were to fall under foreign ownership—an issue currently raising concerns around Solvinity, which hosts the DigiD platform, the Dutch digital identification system required to use for government services. If a similar situation were to arise with STACKIT, the Dutch government would be able to amend or terminate the agreement.

At present, the vast majority of the Dutch government's digital infrastructure relies on cloud services from companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. Under US law, authorities may access data held by American firms even if it is stored overseas, raising concerns about sovereignty and security. Experts have also warned that critical services could be disrupted if access to these platforms were ever restricted.

Justice and Security Minister David van Weel described the agreement as a significant step forward. “We are reducing our dependency on parties outside Europe and strengthening our digital resilience.”

State Secretary for Digital Economy and Sovereignty Willemijn Aerdts emphasized the importance of greater control over digital infrastructure.

“Digital autonomy means that we can make our own choices and are not dependent on a single type of provider,” she said. “It is important that we stimulate the European market. We are doing that with this agreement, which allows central government organizations to use cloud services from a European provider under favourable conditions.”

By Nazrin Sadigova