The Guardian asks. First off, it’s not that the European version of these services do not exist or need to be built from scratch. But that’s not the reason to switch. Until now, US elections, even 2016, produced reasonable outcomes for Europe. Now they have an agent of chaos more than an ally. A country that foments division among its alliances and has stated that a weaker Europe is in American interests. And so much of their communication is funneled through American companies. Companies that have shown a willingness to cooperate with an administration that shows a willingness to use the levers of government in a retaliatory manner. This retaliation could be illegal, but there has been little interest in the Republicans to stop it and there seems little ability (either talent or power) for the Democrats to put an end to it.

Even if the cost is a little higher (with the US being the low cost producer), it is the insurance you pay for having a functioning society. For the same reason you might choose the Grippen over the F-35. Maybe have some F-35s, along side a mix of other fighters. Should the relationship with the US result in a suspension of the contract for maintaining the F-35, or the US out-and-out prohibits their use in the defense of Europe, there is a plane Europe can fly. The resulting insurance against being effectively disarmed by America may be worth additional cost. As would be securing broader sources of many products and services.

But let’s say the 2028 election produces a left-of-center Democrat who is able to assume power. What is the guarantee they don’t pursue some of these policies because of political expediency? There are many instances where a policy unpopular with the winning voter coalition are continued. There is no guarantee that the new administration drops those policies on its first day in power. And what if it loses power to the ideological continuation of the Trump administration? What happens if, in four years, Marco Rubio decides it’s better to rule in hell as a populist autocrat than to serve in heaven? At this point, from an outside observer, I would imagine even Donald Trump Jr. would not be an impossible outcome in 2032.

But there is something coming with AI generated search results I think Europe underestimates. They can be primed to deliver answers that promote division and fringe movements. This could include AI summaries of documents or the generation of material from AI. These could be over-the-top, cringe inducing, obvious trolls to very subtle wording or choosing what information to present. And should Europe complain, threats of tariffs or outright cut-off of these services follows. Or EU leaders are sanctioned and cannot access their digital (or financial) assets.

So yes, Europe needs to figure out what would help. Making it cheaper to start businesses in Europe? Sure. Ensure these companies have guaranteed revenue through government contracts? Maybe. Changing the laws to withdraw from the anti-circumvention features foisted on the EU by previous trade negotiators? That’s a good idea. If Apple threatens to cut off iPhone access to the UK, for example, return the favor by making it legal to jail-break your iPhone and install alternate services. Tax the profits of tech companies to help pay for it? Even if you wind up taxing your own tech companies, the money might come back to them in other grants or contracts.

Right now the US companies have market dominance. Let’s say they have 95% of the office software market. The EU shouldn’t try to retake the 95% at once. It should just focus on reducing dependence on the US to 85%. From 85%, 75% feels possible. Because a lot of tech is based on network effects, as other companies plug in to the services of other companies, each tranche becomes an easier target. Just start with critical pieces, like your ability to share documents securely and e-mail. And start with the easiest part to control, your own bureaucracies. At some point you’ll need to worry about other cloud services, or even the content on social media, but it will be from a stronger place.