Earlier this year, we discovered that Europeans are leaving US tech and switching to more private local alternatives that align with their values. But we also wanted to know whether this growing consumer attitude affects non-tech businesses in Europe who merely rely on US technology for their email, payment systems, or web hosting.

We asked 3,000 people in the UK, France, and Germany whether they would avoid giving their business to a European company if it used US tech. And a surprising number of them said, “Yes.”

Some of the key findings of the new research released today show mounting resistance to US tech from multiple perspectives:

  • Mistrust over data protection: Forty-five percent said they were likely to avoid products and services that stored their data with US companies, due to privacy and security concerns.
  • Keeping euros in Europe: Sixty-five percent agreed European small businesses should prioritize European-based technology over US-based ones.
  • Communications privacy fears: Respondents were most worried about social media, email, and messaging apps invading their privacy.

European businesses are incredibly dependent on American tech companies to operate. Our previous research found that over 74% of all publicly listed European companies rely on US-based tech services, like Google and Microsoft.

There are many factors turning Europeans away from US tech, but their concern boils down to a lack of control. At the Open Source Policy Summit 2026, Finnish MEP Aura Sally vocalized the chief concern that this creates: “The EU runs on Microsoft. The US could turn us off inside one hour.” 

In such a context, European alternatives are not only more urgent, they might also help your bottom line as consumer preferences shift.

Interest in European tech is growing

Tech sovereignty has never been more top of mind for European businesses. Geopolitical tensions between the US and the EU have grown steadily in recent years. In the last year, rising US tariffs, fines against Big Tech, and governmental threats of invasion have seen Europeans become more resolved to end reliance on US Big Tech companies. 

One particular incident that generated concern for Europeans towards US tech occurred in May 2025: The ICC’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan lost access to his email inbox after Microsoft revoked his access — Khan has since moved to Proton Mail, which is based in Switzerland, to prevent further censorship.

Our research found that the last year has made a significant difference in European tech priorities. Forty-five percent of respondents feel it’s more important now than a year ago that European businesses rely on local infrastructure. 

Privacy and security concerns push consumers away

Fifty-six percent of respondents will avoid US tech because they’re concerned about data privacy and security. The majority of European consumers would be uncomfortable having their data stored on US servers and it’s easy to understand why. 

In 2025, US tech companies were hit with a number of high-profile data breaches and lawsuits leading to considerable fines. Their perceived lack of interest in protecting consumer privacy and exploitation of user data has led to poor perceptions in the EU. Monopolistic practices from businesses such as Google also made it obvious just how dependent the world has become on Big Tech’s services. 

European small businesses feel US tech’s impact most 

When it comes to European businesses, it’s the smaller ones that consumers feel should prioritize European-based technology.


Sixty-six percent of respondents agree that European small and medium businesses (SMBs) should be using European tech. This is a crucial insight into how important tech choices are for companies under 500 employees. If an SMB relies on US tech, it’s becoming more likely that its potential customers will opt for businesses relying on European tech. This could be fatal: While larger institutions can weather loss of customers, regulatory fines, and loss of reputation, SMBs are much less likely to bounce back due to a lack of funds and resources.

This is further confirmed by our finding that 80% of respondents say that European tech is a key factor in their decision-making when it comes to working with businesses. Investing in European tech is a way to not only protect sensitive data from leaving Europe, but to actively invest in European digital infrastructure and the economy more broadly. 

Europeans want secure communication 

When it comes to the apps and services that businesses rely on, respondents had three clear priorities: email, messaging apps, and social media.

It’s interesting to note that these are all communications apps, indicating that Europeans prioritize being able to communicate securely and protect their personal data. A Gmail address or an X account could have consumers re-evaluating if they trust the business they’re communicating with. 

This distrust is likely caused by high profile incidences of social media apps failing to protect their users against harassment(nueva ventana) and unwanted surveillance in email inboxes. It’s hard to overstate how much US tech has become both ubiquitous and feared.

European consumers want to invest in European tech 

It isn’t just that European consumers actively want to avoid US tech, they want to be able to choose European tech.

Sixty-five percent of respondents said they agreed that people in Europe should rely more on European technology companies. The number of Europeans who want secure European tools such as email, cloud storage, and AI chatbots(nueva ventana) is increasing because this investment represents a future built to strengthen European countries and end outsourcing to the US. 

With this insight into consumer preferences, it’s time for European businesses to make the choice to invest in EU tech sovereignty. 

EU tech sovereignty is the future

Knowing that it’s time to break reliance on US tech, what are the options for European businesses? There are options that put your business’s security first and ensure that you’ll never lose access to your data because of geopolitical tensions. 

Proton, headquartered in Switzerland, gives your business everything you need to move away from US Big Tech:

  • Proton Mail offers end-to-end encrypted email relied on by businesses, governments, and journalists to protect sensitive data.
  • Proton Drive offers cloud storage, docs, and sheets that ensures you’ll never lose access to critical business assets and protects you from Big Tech using your data to train its AI models.
  • Proton VPN offers secure VPN connections that encrypt data within your network, protecting your business from hackers and insider threats.
  • Proton Lumo is a secure AI tool that keeps no logs of your conversation, meaning your business can leverage the benefits of AI without giving away your data or training Big Tech’s models.
  • Proton Pass is a business password manager that centralizes your business’s passwords, preventing data breaches and helping your team work safely and effectively.
  • Proton Meet makes private videoconferencing possible with end-to-end encryption and seamless integration with Proton Calendar, so sensitive conversations are secure and convenient.