Europeans Seek "Digital Sovereignty" As U.S. Tech Firms Embrace Trump

At a market stall in Berlin run by the charity Topio, volunteers help people purge their phones of the influence of U.S. tech firms.

More people in the EU are now seeking email, messaging, and even search providers outside the U.S.

Since Donald Trump’s second inauguration, the queue for their services has grown, Thomas Escritt reported for Reuters.

Interest in European-based digital services has surged in recent months, according to data from digital market intelligence company Similarweb. More people are now seeking email, messaging, and even search providers outside the U.S.

The first months of Trump’s new presidency have shaken some Europeans’ confidence in their longtime ally—especially after he signaled a retreat from European security commitments and launched a trade war.

"It’s about the concentration of power in U.S. firms," said Topio founder Michael Wirths, as his colleague installed a version of the Android operating system without Google services on a customer’s phone.

Wirths noted that the type of people coming to the stall had changed. “Before, it was people who knew a lot about data privacy. Now, it’s people who are politically aware and feel exposed.”

Just days before Trump took office, outgoing President Joe Biden warned of an oligarchic “tech industrial complex” threatening democracy.

Berlin-based search engine Ecosia says it has benefited from the shift, as more users seek alternatives to dominant U.S. platforms like Google and Microsoft’s Bing—particularly Google, which also leads in global email services.