The USA has the technical capability to disconnect Europe from the internet, writes Politico.
Europe has a "fatal vulnerability" due to its "almost complete dependence on American cloud service providers," which are the "lifeblood of the Internet." Only three American giants — Amazon, Microsoft, and Google — account for more than two-thirds of the EU market.
Some commentators in Europe have long argued that due to this dependence, American agencies can spy on the confidential data of Europeans. And now there are "real concerns" that the USA may use its technological dominance as a weapon to exert influence abroad.
"I don't know (if Trump will disconnect cloud services in Europe - Ed.) But I never expected the USA to threaten to take Greenland. That's crazier than shutting down the cloud," says the CEO of the Austrian cloud company Anexia.