Data protection trumps price: Cloud users prefer to pay more for EU servers
The majority of German cloud users value European data sovereignty – and this trend is increasing. They are also willing to pay for it.
(Image: heise medien)
Three-quarters of German cloud users do not want non-European institutions to have access to their data. This is shown by a representative Forsa survey commissioned by the web hoster Strato. According to the survey, 73 percent of respondents value European server locations and GDPR compliance. 67 percent express specific data protection concerns with services from non-European providers.
The results follow the current political discussion surrounding Germany's and Europe's digital sovereignty: Shortly before, the EU had presented its Cloud Sovereignty Framework, which is intended to evaluate cloud services based on sovereignty criteria. The Strato study now shows that the problematic dependence on US hyperscalers is increasingly concerning end-users as well. Compared to a similar survey from 2019, the importance of European server locations has increased from 64 to 73 percent.
How can companies and authorities break free from the dependencies on US hyperscalers, American or Chinese AI providers, and software manufacturers? Experts from politics, business, and academia will discuss this on November 11 and 12 at the IT Summit by heise in Munich. You can find lectures and speakers in the program of the IT Summit. On the first day of the conference, there will also be a free workshop showing how open-source solutions can contribute to digital sovereignty and cybersecurity. Book your ticket now.
Particularly noteworthy: 65 percent of cloud users state that European server locations and GDPR compliance are more important to them than a low price – even if EU providers were pricier. In 2019, this figure was still 52 percent. The willingness to pay for digital sovereignty is therefore growing significantly. Only 39 percent would prefer EU cloud services exclusively if they were competitively priced with non-European offerings.
Data protection concerns increase with age. While 64 percent of those aged 30 to 44 express concerns with non-European providers, this figure rises to 82 percent among those aged 60 to 75. Among those aged 45 to 59, the figure is 68 percent.
Cross-device access most important criterion
According to the study, about two-thirds of Germans (66 percent) already use cloud storage. The most important selection criterion for 83 percent is cross-device access to files. More than half pay attention to transparent contract terms (58 percent) or encryption (52 percent). For one in two, storage in Germany or the EU is a decisive criterion.
Regarding desired additional functions, security features lead the way: 74 percent wish for automatic detection and warning of suspicious access. 63 percent expect technical support for organizing and deleting duplicate files, and 60 percent expect an intelligent search function. Expectations for cloud services thus go far beyond mere storage space.
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Non-users rely on local storage
The 34 percent who do not use cloud storage primarily cite security concerns: 88 percent prefer to store data locally, and 79 percent fear unauthorized access. However, preferences are also changing here, as 40 percent of non-users can imagine using German cloud storage in the future – especially for photos, backups, or device-independent data access.
For the study, Forsa surveyed around 1000 citizens between the ages of 18 and 75 in Germany in August 2025. According to Strato, the online survey is representative with a statistical margin of error of plus/minus 3 percentage points.
(fo)
