According to a recent report in The New York Times, European governments may reevaluate their utilization of American technology and services.
The flashpoint appears to have occurred following President Donald Trump’s sanction of Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, about the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
Microsoft turned off Khan’s email address as a consequence. Casper Klynge, a former diplomat who has also worked for Microsoft, told the New York Times that Microsoft’s action was “the smoking gun that many Europeans had been looking for,” prompting them to consider alternative options. (For instance, particular International Criminal Court (ICC) employees have purportedly transitioned to the Swiss email service Proton.)
Klynge expressed concern that American companies may be compelled to acquiesce if the U.S. administration targets specific organizations, countries, or individuals.
In response, Microsoft said it has implemented policy modifications to safeguard customers in comparable circumstances. It also acknowledged that it did not deactivate the email accounts of four ICC judges sanctioned by Trump earlier this month.
Furthermore, CEO Satya Nadella recently disclosed new “sovereign solutions” to safeguard European institutions.
