Author: Paolo Gerbaudo, Cecilia Rikap
Source: Original Article
Publication Date: 04.11.2025
Summary Reading Time: 4 minutes
Executive Summary
Two massive cloud outages from Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure in October 2025 have painfully exposed the critical dependence on US tech giants. Over 2,000 digital services worldwide were paralyzed, including British government portals and numerous public services. The events highlight the urgent need for genuine digital sovereignty instead of empty promises. Action recommendation: European governments must immediately invest in independent, publicly-managed digital infrastructures.
Core Topic & Context
The cloud service industry is dominated by just three US companies controlling over 60% of the global market. This extreme concentration creates critical single-point-of-failure risks that became dramatically visible in October 2025. The topic is highly current as the geopolitical instrumentalization of digital infrastructures increases.
Key Facts & Figures
• October 20, 2025: Amazon Web Services outage affects over 2,000 services worldwide • October 29, 2025: Microsoft Azure outage hits US companies like Costco, Starbucks • 60%+ market share with only three providers: AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud • 1.7 billion pounds the British government has spent on AWS contracts • Millions of users were affected by the outages • AWS trigger: Simple DNS configuration error with global consequences
Stakeholders & Those Affected
Directly affected:
- Governments and public administrations (UK Gov.uk Portal completely down)
- Healthcare (NHS with Palantir contracts)
- Retail companies and airlines
- Social media platforms (Snapchat, Reddit, Fortnite)
Industries: All digitized sectors, especially critical infrastructures, healthcare, public administration
Opportunities & Risks
Risks:
- Geopolitical instrumentalization: US sanctions influence service availability (Venezuela/Photoshop, ICC prosecutor)
- Increasing technological dependence despite EU sovereignty assertions
- Elon Musk uses Starlink access as geopolitical leverage
Opportunities:
- Growing awareness of the need for digital sovereignty
- Possibility to build independent, public cloud infrastructures
- Microsoft commits to legal recourse for EU service stops
Action Relevance
Immediate measures required:
- Building publicly-managed digital infrastructures as alternatives
- Ending misleading "sovereignty" rhetoric regarding Big Tech data centers
- Cancel NHS contracts with Palantir as a first step
- Warning against Tony Blair Institute influence (Oracle-funded)
Time-critical: Dependence grows daily while genuine alternatives are lacking.
Fact Check
The mentioned outages and figures correspond to available information. ⚠️ To verify: Exact damage amounts and number of affected services, as these figures can change rapidly.
Supplementary Research
Current developments show that digital sovereignty is a global issue. Various countries are developing national strategies while dependence on US providers continues to grow. The EU Digital Decade initiative until 2030 envisions increased investments in European technologies.
Source Directory
Primary Source:
Supplementary Sources:
- EU Digital Decade Policy Programme
- Cloud Infrastructure Services Market Analysis
- Digital Sovereignty Strategies Report
Verification Status: ✅ Facts checked on 2025-11-04