Of Data and Sovereignty

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Of Data and Sovereignty

Or: When Your Cloud Provider Starts Dreaming in American

In Europe, we love to talk about “digital sovereignty.” It basically means: We’d really prefer if our data didn’t end up on a U.S. government desk next to someone’s morning coffee.
Sounds great — but reality has other plans.
The latest episode in our data soap opera: American IT giant Kyndryl is buying Dutch cloud company Solvinity.
And now everyone’s wondering: So much for European data independence?

1. What’s Going On

Kyndryl — a U.S. company once part of IBM — wants to acquire Solvinity.
Officially, it’s all about “security” and “better cloud services.”
Unofficially, it’s about market power — and some nervous Europeans who don’t love the idea of their sensitive data being technically viewable from Washington.

2. The Quick Facts

  • Announced: November 4, 2025
  • Goal: More cloud, more security, more influence
  • Why it’s supposedly great:
    • Kyndryl brings consulting, tech, and experience
    • Solvinity brings “sovereign” cloud infrastructure
    • Together, they want to be the superheroes of safe data
  • What it costs: Nobody says (always a comforting sign)
  • Who’s talking: Petra Goude from Kyndryl — and lots of worried Europeans

3. The Elephant in the Server Room: The US CLOUD Act

Here’s the catch:
Under U.S. law, the American government can access data from U.S.-based companies — no matter where that data lives.
Yes, even if it’s sitting quietly in a data center near Amsterdam.

Solvinity happens to work with the Dutch Ministry of Justice. So critics are politely calling this “an undesirable situation.”
Others prefer the term Data Colonialism 2.0.

4. Europe’s Dream of Digital Independence

The Netherlands — and really, all of Europe — have been trying for years to build their own cloud systems, just to stop saying “Yes, Mr. Bezos.”
Dutch MP Koekkoek (Volt) recently proposed more funding for European cloud alternatives and less reliance on U.S. tech giants.

Great idea. Shame the funding moves slower than an EU committee report.

5. EuroStack – Europe’s Answer to the Cloud Hangover

Enter EuroStack, a massive €300 billion plan to make Europe a tech powerhouse again.
The mission: less “Made in Silicon Valley,” more “Made in Europe.”

The Ingredients:

  • EuroChips: Local semiconductors
  • SovereignCloud: European secure clouds
  • SmartEurope IoT: Connected devices with actual privacy
  • DataCommons: Shared but controlled data systems
  • SovereignAI: European-made AI

If it doesn’t happen? Expect job losses, dependency, and Europe reduced to a subscription customer with a credit card.

6. Global Trend: Sovereign Clouds Are the New Black

Around the world, governments are building their own “sovereign clouds” — to keep data local, safe, and (theoretically) private.
It’s good for jobs, security, and national pride.
Bad news: it’s also expensive and requires a lot of skilled people — and those don’t grow on digital trees.

7. Two Roads to the Cloud

  1. Hyperscaler Cloud with a “Sovereign” Sticker
    → Cheaper, but control still sits overseas (guess where).

  2. True Local Sovereign Cloud
    → Pricier, but at least you hold the keys to your own data vault.

8. In Short

Kyndryl buys Solvinity. The U.S. smiles.
The Dutch get nervous.
Europe keeps talking about sovereignty — while its data quietly travels somewhere between Virginia and Frankfurt.

9. Bonus: Kyndryl News Ticker

| Date | Headline | Source | |------|-----------|--------| | Nov 06, 2025 | Kyndryl needs a strong second half to hit 2026 targets | Morgan Stanley | | Nov 06, 2025 | Price target trimmed to $28 | Morgan Stanley | | Nov 05, 2025 | Q2 results: mixed bag | Company report | | Nov 05, 2025 | Kyndryl agrees to acquire Solvinity | MarketScreener |

10. Conclusion

Europe dreams of digital independence — but as long as American laws reach into European server rooms, it’ll stay a dream.
Or, as they might say in Amsterdam:
“Nice idea, but not really sovereign.”

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