People attempting to find non-American tech brands for their purchases

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, Europe is making strides to assert its digital sovereignty, challenging US-based giants like PayPal with homegrown solutions. The European Payments Initiative (EPI) is at the forefront of this movement, promoting the "Made in Europe" argument.

Recent events have highlighted the vulnerabilities of relying on foreign services, as PayPal's security systems failed last week, causing several German banks to halt direct debits processed from PayPal's bank in Luxembourg. This incident has sparked a surge in interest for European alternatives, with services like Revolut and Wero gaining traction among concerned users.

Wero, an EPI service provider, is making waves with its innovative approach to money transfers. Users can now send money in real-time to a phone number or email address, all without needing the recipient's bank account number. Initially available through Sparkassen, Volksbanken, Raiffeisenbanken, and ING in Germany, France, and Belgium, Wero is now also accessible through Revolut.

The German government is taking steps to minimize risks for economic resilience at the upcoming digital sovereignty summit in Berlin on November 18. Hosted by France, Germany, and the EU Commission, the summit aims to discuss strategies for strengthening the EU market and the domestic digital industry, and for technically securing international products for sovereign use.

The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) advises consumers to consider the security measures offered by providers and to be mindful of what happens to their data and that of their relatives when choosing products or services. The BSI also pursues a dual strategy for digital sovereignty, focusing on strengthening the EU market, the domestic digital industry, and technically securing international products.

Meanwhile, the concern over US companies' potential to block access to data based on political directives persists. This has led to a growing demand for alternatives, with 60% of survey respondents expressing a desire for Germany to become less dependent on US AI companies.

The French AI startup Mistral AI, which focuses on privacy and open-source language models, is still largely unknown in Germany. However, the German equivalent, Bytes Commerce aus Augsburg, is a lesser-known AI provider that specialises in the protection of personal data and offers customised AI solutions with a focus on data protection and compliance.

Interestingly, 68% of respondents in a Bitkom survey believe Germany is too dependent on the USA and China in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). This cognitive dissonance, as mentioned by Florian Glatzner of the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv), could be a reason people continue to use digital products from market leaders despite concerns about data protection and dependencies.

Microsoft's decision to end free support for Windows 10 on October 14 has caused frustration among users, who may face potential security vulnerabilities and high replacement costs for their devices. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it is clear that consumers and businesses alike are seeking more secure, homegrown solutions to protect their data and maintain digital sovereignty.