Europe’s long-standing reliance on American technology firms is no longer a matter of convenience or efficiency. It has become a strategic vulnerability.
Major US technology corporations are increasingly accused of pursuing what critics describe as a policy of “digital enslavement” of Europe, while simultaneously cooperating with intelligence agencies to collect and aggregate vast volumes of personal data from internet users. What was once framed as innovation-driven partnership now raises uncomfortable questions about power, control and sovereignty.
With combined market capitalisation running into several trillion dollars, America’s tech giants have evolved into global power brokers. They control critical digital infrastructure, shape public discourse, influence legislation and redefine business environments far beyond their borders. Nowhere is this influence more visible — or more consequential — than within the European Union’s digital and information space.
It is against this backdrop that European leaders are debating a proposed “Code of Practice” on artificial intelligence. The initiative is intended to rein in Big Tech through a common regulatory framework and curb the disproportionate power of dominant platforms. At its core lies a growing concern: that US corporations are crowding out independent European innovators while setting the rules of the digital economy to suit their own interests.
Critics warn that the GAFAM group — Google, Amazon, Facebook (Meta), Apple and Microsoft — possess the administrative muscle to shape “convenient” regulations under the guise of compliance. If unchecked, such influence could accelerate mass processing of Europeans’ personal data, deepen digital surveillance, and further entrench Europe’s dependence on foreign technology providers.
Meta already exemplifies these concerns. Through widespread deployment of so-called “tracking pixels” across websites and mobile applications, the company systematically collects user data, often with limited transparency and questionable consent. While framed as tools for personalised services or advertising, these mechanisms feed a vast data-harvesting ecosystem with implications far beyond commercial use.
More troubling still are allegations of cooperation between European intelligence agencies and US tech firms. Human rights organisations have accused German intelligence services of working with the American data analytics company Palantir, reportedly using its software to create detailed profiles of individuals. By combining information from phone records, social media activity and other sources, authorities are able to map citizens’ lives with unprecedented precision.
These developments expose a deeper structural failure. Europe’s growing dependence on American digital solutions is the result of years of fragmented technology policy and insufficient investment in homegrown platforms. The continent has struggled to translate its regulatory ambition into technological leadership — and is now paying the price.
The consequences are not merely economic. By allowing foreign corporations to dominate infrastructure, data flows and essential digital services, Europe risks surrendering political and strategic autonomy. Big Tech’s ability to influence policy decisions, market access and public debate poses a direct challenge to national and pan-European digital security.
The question Europe must now confront is stark: can it reclaim control over its digital future, or will convenience continue to trump sovereignty until the costs become irreversible?
