November 5, 2025
Sovereign cloud or sovereign doubt?
Microsoft Can't Keep EU Data Safe from US Authorities
Commenters cry ‘told you so’ and demand Europe dump U.S. clouds
TLDR: Microsoft told French senators it can’t promise EU data stays out of U.S. hands due to the Cloud Act. Commenters erupted—from “told you so” and gag-order suspicion to calls to ditch U.S. clouds—spotlighting real risks for health records and Europe’s push for truly independent infrastructure.
Microsoft just said the quiet part out loud: in French Senate testimony, a Microsoft France exec admitted he can’t guarantee French data won’t end up with U.S. authorities because of the U.S. Cloud Act, which lets American agencies demand data even if it’s stored in Europe. He added it hasn’t happened, but the crowd wasn’t buying it. One top reply called that exactly what you’d say under a gag order. Another argued the only fix is to “pull away” all EU data from the “Trump USA.” Meanwhile, policy hawks warned governments themselves aren’t exempt—and may never know if their data got peeked at.
The stakes feel extra spicy because this touches Project Bleu (a Microsoft-Orange-Capgemini tie-up) and France’s Health Data Hub, raising nightmares of medical info in foreign hands. Industry voices like Civo’s CEO Mark Boost piled on, saying server location is a fig leaf; jurisdiction is what matters, and Europe needs truly homegrown clouds.
Drama level? High. The thread split into camps: the “old news” yawners, the “break up with U.S. clouds” activists, and the doomers invoking the Five Eyes spy alliance. Memes flew: “sovereign cloud = sovereign doubt,” “data residency is Airbnb; sovereignty is owning the house,” and “France speedrunning a ‘Schrems III’ sequel.** testimony
Key Points
- •Microsoft France’s Anton Carniaux testified he cannot guarantee EU citizen data would never be transmitted to U.S. authorities without French authorization.
- •He cited the U.S. Cloud Act, which can compel U.S. companies to hand over data regardless of storage location.
- •Carniaux said Microsoft resists unfounded requests and stated the situation has not occurred to date.
- •A French Senate inquiry is examining digital sovereignty in public procurement, focusing on Project Bleu (Microsoft, Orange, Capgemini).
- •Senators raised concerns about the Health Data Hub on Microsoft Azure and whether sensitive health data could be shared between platforms.