EU rules against U.S. Big Tech have offended Trump—but Microsoft pledges to protect the people of Europe amidst ‘geopolitical volatility’
Microsoft on Wednesday focused on strengthening its existence in Europe and protecting the data of European people against a rear of “geopolitical volatility”.
The promises of Tech Titan came as President Donald Trump's return went up to the relationship between the United States and Europe, reversing decades of US policy.
Trump has taken the umbrella with the European Union policies against Big Tech – led by US giants including Microsoft – threatening revenge against any motions.
But Microsoft president Brad Smith has injured a positive note during a visit to Brussels.
“We were in a moment when the business had to be a bridge across the Atlantic,” Smith said.
Microsoft expands its data center operations in 16 European countries and will help develop an artificial “ecosystem” of intelligence on the continent.
It also wants to establish cooperation with cloud players in Europe. Currently, US tech companies – Amazon, Google and Microsoft – have ruled the cloud market in Europe.
But Europe's reliance on US tech has been talked about since Trump's return and threat to impose tariffs, occupy Greenland and cut support for Ukraine.
Remembering that Washington could use tech dominance as a weapon in any standoff with Brussels if transatlantic ties, would have been strained, worse.
For example, Europeans remember accessing US servers could be cut off if Trump, whose relationships with tech titans grew, was selected to use this action.
Microsoft's Smith was placed in this situation in a blog post published on Wednesday without name Trump, describing it as “unlikely” to happen.
However, Smith swore, if Microsoft was asked to suspend or stop cloud operations in Europe, it was “an immediate and diligent contest for such a proposal”.
“We are now conducting that if any government anywhere in the world has released an order aimed at forceing Microsoft to suspend or stop operations and supports for Europe outside our data centers here, we are going to court,” Smith told Brussels.
“We appreciate that this is a real concern of people throughout Europe,” he added.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
