Digital sovereignty in a time of geopolitical uncertainty

Sovereignty has traditionally been associated with territorial control, legal frameworks, and governance. In our hyper-connected world, sovereignty is no longer just a political and legal concept, but it has become an important and complex aspect of the digital world, making it more urgent than ever to consider how sovereignty affects your own company.

With global tensions on the rise, state interventions in digital infrastructure becoming more frequent, and organizations increasingly dependent on cloud services controlled by foreign corporations, a fundamental question arises:

Who truly is in control over your data and systems?

At Fairbanks, we believe that true sovereignty starts with full ownership and control over digital infrastructure. This is why we focus on private cloud solutions, ensuring that businesses and institutions are not at the mercy of foreign tech giants or shifting political landscapes. Open source technology plays a crucial role in this approach, offering transparency, flexibility, and, most importantly, independence.

While public cloud services promise flexibility and scalability, they also introduce a critical risk: organizations are not fully in control over their own infrastructure. Instead, foreign corporations and governments dictate who has access to what, potentially turning digital infrastructure into a geopolitical risk.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) and Microsoft Azure example: Critical data, foreign control

A recent example highlights this vulnerability. The International Criminal Court (ICC), based in the Netherlands and the institution that investigates war crimes and crimes against humanity, found itself in a vulnerable position. The U.S. government threatened to pressure Microsoft Azure into cutting off the ICC’s access to its own cloud services, as a response to actions the court had taken.

After that, on Friday the 16th of May 2025, the email access of Karim Khan, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), was blocked. According to the Associated Press and other reputable media outlets, this was the result of US sanctions imposed on Khan and was carried out by Microsoft. However, Microsoft has not issued any official statement acknowledging or denying responsibility for the block. When asked whether the action only affected Khan’s personal email account, Microsoft did not respond directly. A company spokesperson said: “At no point has Microsoft terminated or suspended services to the ICC organization.” That precise wording raises questions: if Microsoft didn’t suspend ICC services, then what exactly happened and how was the prosecutor’s access restricted?

This case is the latest example of the real-world risk and the geopolitical vulnerabilities that global institutions are subject to when they rely on foreign-controlled digital infrastructure. The fact that the ICC’s top prosecutor reportedly lost access to his email during active investigations underscores how easily operational sovereignty is infringed upon by external political pressures. Even if core systems were unaffected, the potential consequences of broader disruption, from loss of access to evidence, legal documents, or internal communications, are deeply concerning.

This incident brings a critical issue to the surface: digital sovereignty. But more specifically, it underscores the urgency of operational sovereignty, the ability of an organization to function without disruption or interference from external legal or political forces. If key roles, systems or communications can be silently disabled by a vendor subject to foreign pressure, then your operations are not sovereign, they are conditional. That is not just an IT concern, it is a structural vulnerability for any institution that values independence, continuity and trust.

The Amsterdam Trade Bank (ATB) example: A bank collapses overnight

This issue extends beyond government institutions. In 2022, the Amsterdam Trade Bank (ATB), a subsidiary of Russia’s Alfa-Bank, collapsed within 24 hours because it lost access to its digital infrastructure due to sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States.

ATB was a Dutch bank serving tens of thousands of European customers, yet because of geopolitical decisions, its operations were suddenly shut down. Customers could no longer access their funds, and the institution ceased to exist overnight.

This case illustrates the tangible, real-world consequences of digital dependence on third parties. If a financial institution can disappear overnight due to digital infrastructure sanctions, the same could happen to any business, government agency,

or international organization that relies on public cloud services controlled by foreign entities.

The Adobe Venezuela example: Creative work gets caught in a geopolitical issue

In 2019, Adobe announced it would deactivate all Creative Cloud accounts in Venezuela to comply with a U.S. executive order targeting the Venezuelan government. Overnight, thousands of individuals and businesses were notified that they would lose access not only to essential tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, but also to their own files stored in Adobe’s cloud. Users were given a short deadline to download their content before it would be deleted.

For many creative professionals, these tools and files were their livelihood. Freelancers could not deliver client work. Design agencies lost access to ongoing projects. Schools and universities had to suspend digital media courses. And because Creative Cloud runs on a subscription model, users had no ownership of the software or guaranteed access to their data. Adobe initially said it could not issue refunds due to the sanctions, adding financial strain to an already difficult situation.

Although the decision was partially reversed after public backlash and a special license was granted, the damage had already been done. This case is a clear example of what happens when critical digital tools and data are tied to foreign infrastructure and political decisions. True digital sovereignty means protecting both your tools and your content, because without control, everything can disappear overnight.

The VMware Example: The hidden risks of subscription-based software

Beyond cloud infrastructure, another silent threat to digital sovereignty is the shift from ownership to subscription-based software models.

Companies like VMware have transitioned from selling software licenses to selling subscriptions. Customers no longer purchase a product, but instead subscribe to a usage right.

This means that:

This shows the importance of open source solutions, not just in name, but in practice, where users have full control over their software and infrastructure.

Fairbanks believes that open source private cloud solutions offer the best path to true digital sovereignty. Unlike public cloud solutions, our approach ensures that:

This is not just an ideological stance, it is a practical necessity in a world where digital infrastructure is increasingly under political control.

If your goal is true digital sovereignty, open source software and licensing should be a core consideration. The structure of open source licenses and the collaborative development model offer clear advantages when it comes to control, transparency, and long-term flexibility, all essential for maintaining sovereignty over your digital infrastructure.

That’s why fully open source private cloud environments offer: Sovereignty: Full ownership and control over your systems and data. Autonomy: The freedom to define, adapt, and evolve your infrastructure on your terms. Independence: No reliance on external entities that can restrict access or enforce unwanted changes.

We are entering a time where digital sovereignty will define economic, political, and technological power. Organizations that rely on public cloud services risk losing access to their own systems at any moment, whether due to sanctions, policy changes, or corporate decisions.

By investing in open source private cloud solutions, businesses, governments, and institutions can:

We help organizations take control of their digital futures. Because sovereignty is not just a legal right, it is a technological imperative. Want to learn more? Contact us at Fairbanks to find out more about how open source private cloud solutions can secure your organization’s digital independence.

In the end what matters is: Your cloud, your rules.