On Tue, 14 Oct 2025 16:33:42 +1300, I wrote:
This whole “digital sovereignty” business is big in Europe, and getting bigger. It’s no longer just talk -- there are significant amounts of money involved.
The movement has become big enough for the US State Department to notice, and order a counter-campaign to discourage its spread <https://www.computerworld.com/article/4137523/us-orders-diplomats-to-counter-data-sovereignty.html>: In an internal memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US describes such rules as a threat to free data flows, AI development, and cloud services. “Free data flows” meaning flows *to* the US, of course, not from it. The Trump Administration believes that data localization could increase costs, create cybersecurity risks, and give governments greater control over information. Gee, I wonder why they’re suddenly so worried about increased costs to the poor Europeans? The same ones the US has shown no mercy to, in imposing tariffs to increase their costs?