EU drafts cloud rules that could block Google and Amazon
The European Union is preparing to launch a major regulatory assault on American tech supremacy. According to draft documents leaked ahead of schedule, Brussels is planning to propose strict new criteria for cloud computing services in critical state tenders—a protectionist shift that could effectively freeze Amazon, Microsoft, and Google out of highly lucrative government contracts.
The aggressive proposal is baked into the European Commission's upcoming Cloud and AI Development Act. EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen is scheduled to officially announce the package this Wednesday as part of a sweeping strategy designed to systematically reduce Europe's dependence on foreign technology, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
While the leaked proposal could still face last-minute tweaks before its grand debut, the current draft introduces mandatory "non-price" award criteria for state contracts. Instead of simply picking the lowest bidder, EU governments would be required to favor software and hardware developed natively within the European Union. By design, this structural change heavily disadvantages U.S. big tech firms that currently dominate global cloud infrastructure.
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When pressed for details on the draft, the European Commission declined to comment on specifics. However, officials defended the broader strategy, stating that the upcoming tech sovereignty package is "crucial for strengthening Europe's own technological capacities, for Europe's competitiveness and security."
By Aysel Mammadzada
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