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Amazon Launches EU-Only Sovereign Cloud to Address Data Security Concerns

By  |  January 15, 2026

Amazon Web Services has introduced a new cloud computing platform designed to operate entirely within Europe, aiming to ease growing concerns over data protection and foreign government access, according to Reuters. The service, called the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, was launched on Thursday and is intended to provide European customers with a locally controlled alternative to predominantly U.S.-based cloud providers.

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    The new cloud infrastructure is physically and legally separated from Amazon’s other global data centres, a move the company says strengthens resilience and autonomy. The system would continue operating even in extreme scenarios such as a disconnection of the European Union from the global internet or restrictions on U.S. software exports, AWS Germany Chief Technology Officer Michael Hanisch said per Reuters.

    Demand for such services has been rising across Europe as governments and businesses reassess their reliance on American technology firms. According to Reuters, concerns largely stem from U.S. legislation such as the Cloud Act, which can require U.S.-based companies to provide American authorities access to data, even when that data is stored outside the United States.

    Related: Amazon to Challenge Italian Antitrust Fine Reduction in Court

    Other major U.S. cloud providers have taken steps to address similar worries. Microsoft and Google offer options to store European customer data exclusively within Europe, while Google announced last year that it would invest 5.5 billion euros in data centres in Germany, per Reuters.

    AWS plans to underpin its European cloud strategy with significant financial backing. The company’s first data centre for the sovereign cloud is currently under construction in the German state of Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin, according to Reuters. Additional facilities are planned both in Germany and in other European countries, supported by investments exceeding 7.8 billion euros.

    The company says the new cloud will incorporate technical controls, legal safeguards and sovereignty assurances designed to meet the strict requirements of European governments and organisations handling sensitive data. Operation and monitoring of the platform will be handled by a German company, with management and advisory boards made up of EU citizens, Reuters reported. Over time, all employees working on the cloud are expected to hold EU citizenship.

    AWS has not set a specific customer target for the new service, Hanisch told Reuters, as competition intensifies among major cloud providers seeking clients with heightened data security and regulatory requirements.

    Source: Reuters