THE HAGUE, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The parliament of the Netherlands on Tuesday adopted several motions calling on the government to reduce dependence on U.S. tech giants.
According to a motion published on the website of the House of Representatives, the parliament has urged the government to halt unnecessary migrations of government information communication and technology (ICT) to cloud services of American tech giants. The parliament recognizes that total reliance on American tech giants threatens the country's autonomy and cybersecurity.
It also called on the government to issue a tender for a national cloud services platform, fully managed by the Netherlands, to enable secure interdepartmental communication and data storage.
One motion asks the government to provide a risk analysis and exit strategy for all cloud services currently purchased from American tech giants.
Another motion calls for accelerated investments in cloud alternatives within the European Union (EU), highlighting Europe's need for strategic digital autonomy amid geopolitical uncertainties. It reads: "Considering that the geopolitical situation is becoming increasingly unpredictable and that the American president, through decrees and legislation, can take measures that threaten access to or the security of European data in American cloud environments ... the parliament calls on the government to advocate, within the EU, for accelerated investments in European cloud alternatives and digital infrastructure."
"The current course of the United States makes it clear that the Netherlands and Europe must stand on their own two feet in the areas of energy, defense and ICT infrastructure," said another motion, calling on the Dutch government to put European companies first in tenders for vital ICT services. ■
