Dependencies in the Bundeswehr: Sharp criticism of deal with Google Cloud

The Bundeswehr's decision to work more closely with Google for its digitalization and to rely on a "private cloud" from the US company is meeting with increasing resistance. Several politicians and security experts are warning against becoming dependent on the company.

Critics such as MP Roderich Kiesewetter (CDU) and Konstantin von Notz, deputy parliamentary leader of the Greens, see the ten-year deal worth hundreds of millions of euros as a high security policy risk. They fear that Germany could become vulnerable to blackmail in an emergency or that the systems could be shut down if the political relationship with the USA becomes unstable, particularly considering the unpredictability of US President Donald Trump. The move should therefore be urgently reconsidered.

"The security risk with a Google cloud is the same as with US weapons systems", Kiesewetter tells Handelsblatt, making a comparison. He looks at the US F-35 fighter jet, for example, which Germany is procuring. Systems in the military or digital sector that are largely controlled by the US are always dependent on the US for maintenance, updates, technical logistics and electronics, for example.

Google considers the criticism to be misguided

As an example of possible consequences, von Notz cited Microsoft's blocking of the email account of the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, which is said to have taken place based on Trump sanctions. The Green Party member warns that something similar could also happen in a military context and have even more massive consequences there.

"Digitizing the Bundeswehr with the help of the Google Cloud is the wrong way to go," Arne Schönbohm, former President of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), also points out. With companies such as SAP or the Schwarz Group (Lidl, Kaufland), Germany certainly has its own technological expertise, which should be used instead.

Google and the Bundeswehr IT system house (BWI) reject the concerns and emphasize the security of the solution. Google Cloud boss Marianne Janik emphasizes that the Bundeswehr is receiving a special, completely sealed-off cloud solution that runs directly in the armed forces' data centers. The system is like a "Fort Knox" for data. BWI boss Frank Leidenberger assures that the Bundeswehr's data centers are not directly connected to Google's systems. Updates are also carefully checked before installation.

(vbr)