EU Proposes 'Kill Switch' Block for Foreign Tech Providers

The EU's Technological Sovereignty Proposals

The EU executive wants to ensure no foreign government or company has access to a “kill switch” to turn off or disrupt vital tech services across the continent, as part of an effort to cut dependencies on the US and China.

Reducing Dependency on Foreign Suppliers

Publishing “technological sovereignty” proposals that risk further tensions with Donald Trump, the European Commission said on Wednesday the bloc needed to reduce dependency on foreign suppliers in cloud computing, artificial intelligence and semiconductor production.

The Data Analysis

The EU’s vulnerabilities were exposed last year when China stopped semiconductor exports, almost bringing the European car industry to a halt. Meanwhile, there is concern that Trump or a future US president could use a “kill switch” to terminate US cloud computing services overnight, or require providers to hand over sensitive data.

The Impact Analysis

Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission vice-president for tech sovereignty, said the 2018 US Cloud Act – enabling federal authorities to access data stored by US providers in other countries for national security reasons – “was not in line with our rules here”.

The Prediction

The proposals, which have to be agreed by member states and the European parliament, could open a new front in ongoing tensions with the Trump administration, which has criticised EU digital regulation and routinely threatened allies with tariffs.