Almost half of the companies using US marketing tools and platforms are considering switching to European-based ones in the near future. According to a new study by Piwik PRO, the main drivers include the uncertain US political climate, the need for stronger privacy protections and a growing desire to support European-made software.
After years of languishing and relying on US and Chinese tech giants to power its digital infrastructure, Europe is waking up from its technological slumber. The return of Donald Trump as President of the United States and the ‘America First’ doctrine he is pushing has caused concern among companies that have relied heavily on American software and cloud infrastructure. According to a recent survey by Piwik PRO, 42% of respondents are seriously considering reducing their dependence on foreign infrastructure and software.
Piwik PRO’s research found that nearly one in three (31%) users of its platform are considering switching from US digital marketing software to European solutions due to political instability in the US.
Made in the EU: Better privacy and security
These uncertainties have highlighted a long-standing concern, US made software often lacks adequate protections for European users. More than one-third (35%) of surveyed companies believe European tools offer better compliance with laws such as the GDPR.
On the other hand, EU-based and hosted platforms eliminate the risk of cross-border transfer, ensuring uninterrupted operation, for example, in the context of running marketing campaigns. This strongly aligns with the emphasis on the need for solutions that guarantee compliance with GDPR and upcoming regulations like the Data Act and DORA.
“EU-based solutions offer features specifically designed for EU data residency, compliant consent management, anonymisation and transparency, which are critical for respecting the privacy rights of European consumers,” said Santi Roc Castells, Director of Marketing at Piwik PRO and Cookie Information.
In response, European governments and Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) are taking concrete steps to reduce reliance on US tech. The Dutch Parliament, for example, has mandated that government agencies prioritise European cloud services. Similarly, the Danish Ministry of Industry has encouraged businesses to develop exit strategies from American providers.
The growing uncertainty over EU-US data transfers has sparked a wave of what some are calling European software patriotism. According to the study, 23% of respondents cited a desire to support European companies as their primary reason for switching marketing platforms.
The ecosystem of capable European software providers is expanding rapidly. In digital analytics, solutions like Piwik PRO, Plausible, Simple Analytics and Statcounter now rival Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics. In the consent management space, European alternatives include Cookie Information, CookieScript, CookieFirst and Cookiebot.
