Merz: Google Cloud is sovereign enough for intelligence agencies

At Berlin’s Digital Summit, Chancellor Friedrich Merz presented digital sovereignty as a strategic necessity, especially as artificial intelligence reshapes the economy and society. Germany, he argued, must build the ability to control technology from hardware to software and help set the rules for technological change. But sovereignty does not mean self-sufficiency: Merz also called for cooperation with trusted partners, including Canada, and stressed that Europe should play a leading role in shaping AI.

The tension between that ambition and reliance on U.S. technology emerged when Merz was asked about intelligence agencies’ plans for an offline cloud developed with Google. He argued that a European-based infrastructure operated with an American provider could still support European sovereignty, and said he trusted the agencies to protect the data. The stance contrasts with years of efforts by European cloud companies to win government customers and with ongoing work by German and EU authorities to define security requirements for cloud services. The central concern is that even an air-gapped cloud depends on its provider for updates; without them, it could become unreliable within months, forcing a migration. Provider structures may reduce risks such as foreign government pressure or service shutdown, but they do not eliminate dependence.