Concerns are being raised by German parliamentarians regarding the Bundeswehr’s (German armed forces) planned digital modernization, specifically the proposed collaboration with US technology company Google. The partnership, involving the federal IT system house BWI, aims to bolster the Bundeswehr’s digital capabilities.
Roderich Kiesewetter, a CDU (Christian Democratic Union) member of parliament, expressed security policy concerns, stating a re-evaluation of the project is desirable. He advocates prioritizing German or European solutions to avoid potential geopolitical leverage or operational limitations.
Konstantin von Notz, deputy leader of the Green Party’s parliamentary group, similarly questioned the Google plans. He urged stakeholders to thoroughly examine the possibility of utilizing companies that don’t pose comparable risks and where geopolitical considerations are less prominent. He stressed a need to reduce dependencies, particularly on US cloud providers.
Both von Notz and Kiesewetter cited uncertainties in transatlantic relations, specifically referencing the administration of former US President Donald Trump, as a source of concern. Kiesewetter highlighted Trump’s unpredictability as detrimental to a reliable security partnership. Von Notz pointed to the US-imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), including actions taken against its chief prosecutor Karim Khan and subsequent actions by Microsoft disabling email accounts, as an illustration of potential risks within a military context.
In contrast, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the Defence and Security Committee in the European Parliament, downplayed security concerns surrounding the use of Google Cloud. She emphasized that operational control over the data would remain with the Bundeswehr, noting the data will be stored in Germany and the cloud infrastructure operated by the BWI within its own data centers, thus falling outside the scope of US jurisdiction. She asserted that the Bundeswehr would maintain “full control”.