Hey There,
I was scrolling through my Mastodon feed and Nextcloud posted an article about how governments and companies are increasingly seeking data sovereignty by using Nextcloud. Thought I would share it here: https://nextcloud.com/blog/why-organizations-migrate-from-microsoft-365-in-2025/
In the article they cite three reasons for why people are moving over to their services.
1. Geopolitical risks and digital dependency with potential for blackmail
A shutdown of US-based services like Microsoft 365 anywhere in the world would have serious consequences. That would include both operational disruptions and monetary costs. Such a shutdown is possible in case of sanctions or a presidential order. And with new US administration and the ongoing internal instability, we cannot rule out new shifts in global political landscape.
2. Unpredictable costs outside control
Vendor lock-in is a part of the product strategy of the Big Tech. Microsoft has recently spiked its prices by 40%, while product portfolio undergoes constant rearrangement to optimize for a more profitable strategy. Their tools, like Windows operating system and Microsoft 365 suite, are essential to global infrastructure. And this dominance allows controlling the prices without the risk of losing customers.
3. Data protection and global compliance
The return of a Republican administration in the US has caused tensions with the EU, spilling over into both economic and business relations. Regulations like The Cloud Act already permit the US authorities to access data controlled by the US companies. That is, even outside of the US. Escaping the possibility of such access is the core reasons for public organizations, like the administration of Schleswig-Holstein, to make a move away from American tech. And new fears of espionage are rising, given how much control over global data the Silicon Valley companies already have.
I think for the small business or individual concerning with data security and privacy the most applicable is number 3 above. The United States government has agreements and can just access this data whenever they want. I believe it’s important to distance yourself from these large datasets as much as possible and work with data providers you trust, or even better, run your own server or do it yourself.
Sincerely,
Jared