AWS flips switch on Euro cloud as customers fret about digital sovereignty

AWS announced general availability of its European Sovereign Cloud—physically and logically separate within the EU, operated by EU residents, and initially offering 90 services—alongside plans to expand Dedicated Local Zones to meet strict data sovereignty needs. The report details EU-only metadata handling, governance via a new EU-based entity, and options like Dedicated Local Zones, AI Factories, and Outposts, while noting industry context (Microsoft and Google sovereign offerings, market growth) and lingering doubts about extraterritorial legal exposure. AWS emphasizes technical safeguards such as the Nitro System, encryption, and key management to prevent unauthorized access to customer data.