Europe’s sovereign‑cloud framework, finalized in late 2025, now obliges cloud providers to prove compliance with EU data‑privacy rules and to disclose the extent of foreign jurisdictional access. The move has sent ripples through the continent’s rapidly expanding cloud market, which has more than doubled in revenue since 2019 yet remains dominated by U.S. hyperscalers, leaving European providers with less than one‑fifth of the total share.
Speaking at Zscaler Zenith Live 2026, Casper Klynge, Zscaler’s vice president for government partnerships and public policy across EMEA, warned that companies that fail to align with the new requirements will face “difficulties” in the European market. "It’s not a zero‑sum game," Klynge said, noting that while the landscape is crowded, there is still space for European competitors to grow—especially in niche segments.
He urged businesses to adopt a proactive stance, suggesting they aim for “over‑compliance” to demonstrate alignment with the European agenda. For Zscaler, whose security software sits between users and the cloud, the sovereign‑cloud rules represent an opportunity rather than a hurdle.
According to Klynge, smaller European cloud providers can thrive by focusing on industry‑specific solutions. "We’re seeing more niche cloud companies that cater to healthcare, automotive and other verticals," he explained. This specialization, he argued, allows these firms to differentiate themselves without trying to build an all‑encompassing platform that would directly challenge the massive scale of U.S. players.
AI models have also fallen under the sovereignty spotlight after the European Commission suspended foreign access to Anthropic’s Mythos and Fable models. Klynge cautioned that the discussion around AI often overemphasizes productivity gains while neglecting the need to protect organizations from new vulnerabilities introduced by AI agents.
Zscaler’s own positioning reflects that concern. The company operates roughly 26 data centers across Europe and offers a cloud‑agnostic security stack that can be deployed on any hyperscaler, including smaller European providers. "The biggest flexibility we bring to the table is to secure the operational use of AI models," Klynge said, adding that customers can switch between providers like OpenAI or emerging alternatives without compromising security.
He concluded that tighter digital‑sovereignty requirements actually play to Zscaler’s strengths. "Our technology is sovereign by default," he asserted, implying that the firm’s architecture already satisfies many of the new EU mandates, giving it a competitive edge as regulations tighten.
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