Europe Candidly States That America and China Cannot Be Trusted

Europeans admit they do not trust technology companies from the United States (US) and China. They consider both countries untrustworthy in managing users’ personal data.

The European Pulse survey by POLITICO shows that more than 8 out of 10 Europeans do not trust US or Chinese technology companies. In fact, the level of distrust towards Chinese companies is recorded higher than that towards America.

As many as 84% of respondents stated they do not trust US technology companies to handle personal data responsibly. Meanwhile, 93% of respondents said the same about Chinese technology companies.

This finding emerges as Europe is striving to reduce dependence on foreign tech giants. The European Union is now promoting the development of local technologies, from artificial intelligence and cloud services to telecommunications.

Nevertheless, trust in European technology companies is not yet fully strong. Only 51% of respondents said they trust local technology companies with their personal data. Even trust in national governments is lower, at 45%.

This survey involved 6,698 respondents from six major EU countries, namely Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Belgium, during the period of 13-21 March.

Germany is the country with the highest level of distrust towards American and Chinese technology companies. As many as 91% of respondents in that country do not trust American companies, while 98% state they do not trust Chinese companies.

In contrast, Poland is one of the countries that is relatively more open to foreign technology. Around 38% of respondents in Poland trust American companies, and 20% state they trust Chinese companies.

Meanwhile, Belgium is the country with the highest level of trust in European technology companies. As many as 59% of respondents are confident that regional technology companies will be responsible in managing user data.

Although foreign companies must still comply with EU privacy rules such as GDPR, concerns remain. This is because technology companies based in America and China are also subject to domestic security laws, which allow governments to request access to user data. This risk raises concerns among courts and privacy regulators in Europe.