What 'digital sovereignty' means in practice (not slogans)
Digital sovereignty is everywhere in EU policy documents. But what does it actually mean for a team choosing software? We break it down.
TL;DR
Digital sovereignty isn't about protectionism or building everything in-house. It means having meaningful control over your data, infrastructure, and vendor relationships so that geopolitical shifts don't blindside your operations.
Key Takeaways
- Sovereignty is about control, not origin — a tool hosted in Frankfurt by a US company under US jurisdiction isn't sovereign just because the server is in the EU.
- Real sovereignty requires three layers: data residency, legal jurisdiction, and operational independence.
- Most teams don't need 100% sovereignty everywhere — the key is knowing which systems matter most.
- Start with your CRM, email, and cloud storage — these hold the most sensitive data.
- Check parent company jurisdiction, not just the brand's HQ address.
Why the word "sovereignty" keeps coming up
Since 2020, European institutions have used "digital sovereignty" in dozens of official documents. It appears in the EU Data Strategy, the Digital Markets Act background papers, and in Gaia-X project briefs. But in practice, most teams still don't know what it means for their software stack.
Let's be clear: sovereignty does not mean "only use tools made in Europe." That would be protectionism, and it wouldn't work — some US-origin tools are simply the best at what they do. Instead, sovereignty means having meaningful control over your technology choices, your data, and the legal conditions under which they operate.
The three layers of digital sovereignty
1. Data residency
Where does your data physically live? A tool might have servers in the EU, but if backups, analytics pipelines, or support access happen outside the EU, you don't have full residency.
What to check: Ask your vendor for a data processing map — not just "we have EU servers," but where every copy of your data goes.
2. Legal jurisdiction
This is the part most people miss. Even if your data sits in Frankfurt, if the company operating it is incorporated in the US, it is subject to the CLOUD Act. US authorities can compel access to data regardless of where it's stored.
What to check: Look at the parent company's incorporation, not just the subsidiary's office address.
3. Operational independence
Can you export your data and move to another provider within a reasonable timeframe? If the vendor goes bankrupt, gets acquired, or changes pricing dramatically, do you have a plan B?
What to check: Test the export function. Try importing your data into an alternative. If it takes more than a weekend, that's a red flag.
A practical framework
Not every system needs the same level of sovereignty. Here's a simple way to think about it:
- High sovereignty needed: CRM (customer data), email (communications), cloud storage (documents), HR systems (employee data)
- Medium sovereignty needed: Project management, analytics, marketing tools
- Lower priority: Design tools, code editors, internal wikis (if they don't contain regulated data)
What this means for FEWL
At From Europe, With Love, we evaluate every tool across these three dimensions. We don't claim that every EU tool is better — we claim that knowing your options is better than not knowing. That's what sovereignty actually means.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does digital sovereignty mean I can only use European tools?
Is GDPR compliance the same as digital sovereignty?
How do I start improving my team's digital sovereignty?
What is the CLOUD Act and why does it matter?
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