According to a survey by Civo, of over 1,000 UK IT leaders, 61% said that data sovereignty is a strategic priority for their organisations.
Additionally, 40% stated that increased transparency to EU and UK data protection laws would encourage them to shift away from US cloud providers.
The research also revealed over two-thirds of respondents said they would be willing to use AI if they had complete assurance of owning both the inputs and outputs, a degree of transparency and control that most major providers currently do not offer.
Civo’s research also found that, following market reputation, data sovereignty has emerged as the second most influential factor driving businesses to move away from Big Tech AI services, followed closely by cost, service variety and team expertise.
Civo CEO, Mark Boost, said: “These results will be no surprise to anyone with their ear to the ground in the industry. People are more alert than ever to just how valuable their data is, and it’s been astonishing how quickly cloud repatriation and sovereignty have become leading strategic considerations for IT leaders.
“The market is crying out for greater visibility over where data is stored, used, and transferred, and at present, US providers are failing to meet that demand.”
He added: “For our public institutions, the message couldn’t be clearer. Legislation like the CLOUD Act means that at any time, providers based in the US may have to share users’ data, regardless of where in the world that user is based or where their data is stored.
“This prevents US providers from offering users full control, and when it comes to government data, anything less than full sovereignty represents a significant risk. It’s time for the UK to match the energy of European sovereignty initiatives like EuroStack to help reduce reliance on hyperscale providers whilst still encouraging transatlantic collaboration.”
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