Consumers in the United Kingdom increasingly expect businesses to use European technology providers, with new research commissioned by Proton revealing growing public pressure on companies to move away from US-based platforms amid rising concerns about privacy, governance and digital sovereignty.
A strong majority of consumers (62%) believe European small businesses should prioritise European-based technology platforms over US alternatives, with 23% strongly agreeing and only 4% disagreeing. More than half (53%) say it is now more important than a year ago for businesses across Europe to use European apps and online services, while just 1.8% think it is less important. This shift in sentiment comes as 76% of consumers report following recent political and economic tensions between the EU and the US in the news.
This shift in sentiment comes as 76% of consumers report following recent political and economic tensions between the EU and the US in the news. Against this backdrop, the findings point to a broader shift in attitudes toward technological dependence: across the UK, most respondents say their societies have become overly reliant on US technology companies, with many expressing concern about that reliance as geopolitical tensions persist and regulatory differences between the US and Europe widen.
Crucially, consumer sentiment is starting to influence buying behaviour. More than four in 10 consumers (43%) say they are likely to avoid products or services from companies that store their data with US providers due to privacy or security concerns, including 15% who say they are very likely to do so.
