Internal documents reveal Commission fears over Microsoft dependency
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BRUSSELS — European Commission officials fear that their heavy reliance on Microsoft constitutes a clear breach of EU data rules, according to internal Commission documents seen by Euractiv, which contradict the executive’s public statements on the matter.
The concerns are focused on the Commission’s use of Microsoft365 as its digital workspace, which has raised security and privacy concerns among some in the executive.
The EU's data protection watchdog, the EDPS, has ordered the Commission to bring its Microsoft use into compliance. This implies exploring less intrusive alternatives than Microsoft, but little has been done in this regard.
The case offers a stark example of the chasm between Europe’s desire for autonomy in highly sensitive areas such as IT, and the on-the-ground reality of its dependence on American tech.
