Airbus, the world’s largest aerospace corporation, is abandoning Google’s cloud services due to security and data sovereignty concerns, The Register reported. The move comes as Google faces a class-action lawsuit over alleged privacy violations tied to its Gemini AI assistant, while Airbus seeks a European cloud provider to protect sensitive industrial data from U.S. jurisdiction.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
TOULOUSE, France — Airbus, the European aerospace giant, has decided to migrate its critical digital systems away from Google’s cloud services, citing security risks and concerns over U.S. jurisdiction over sensitive industrial data, The Register reported. The shift reflects broader anxieties in Europe about data sovereignty—especially as Google faces legal scrutiny in the U.S. over alleged privacy breaches linked to its Gemini AI tool.
Google’s Legal Troubles
The class-action lawsuit, reported by Bloomberg, accuses Google of secretly activating Gemini across Gmail, Chat, and Meet in October, collecting user emails, attachments, and video calls without consent. Google has denied the allegations, but the controversy has intensified concerns among European corporations about U.S.-based cloud providers.
Airbus’s Search for a ‘Sovereign’ Cloud
Airbus, which currently relies on Google Workspace, plans to tender a major contract in early January to transition mission-critical workloads—including production, business management, and aircraft design data—to a European cloud provider. The €50 million ($58.5 million) project aims to consolidate Airbus’s data centers and ensure compliance with European data protection laws.
“I need a sovereign cloud because part of the information is extremely sensitive from a national and European perspective,” Catherine Jestin, Airbus’s executive vice president of digital, told The Register. “We want to ensure this information remains under European control.”
However, Airbus estimates only an 80% chance of finding a European provider capable of meeting its technical and legal requirements—a challenge given the dominance of U.S. cloud giants like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
Geopolitical and Competitive Pressures
The decision comes as Airbus faces intensifying competition from U.S. rival Boeing, which President Donald Trump has publicly credited for boosting with political support and trade negotiations.
“Boeing benefited from political backing during trade negotiations that included major aircraft purchases,” Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury acknowledged earlier this month. Trump, meanwhile, boasted that he received an award from Boeing for being “the greatest salesman in the history of Boeing.”
What’s Next?
Airbus plans to finalize its cloud migration decision by summer 2026, but the search for a fully sovereign European solution remains uncertain. The outcome could influence other European firms grappling with U.S. cloud dependency and data privacy risks.
“This is about more than just technology—it’s about protecting Europe’s industrial and strategic autonomy,” a cybersecurity analyst said. “If Airbus succeeds, it could set a precedent for others to follow.”
For now, the aerospace giant’s move underscores the growing tension between global tech dominance and national data sovereignty—a battle that could reshape the future of cloud computing.
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