Home Content Hub Can you be sovereign on public cloud? Understanding the sovereignty spectrum | Ladybug Unplugged | Episode 2

Can you be sovereign on public cloud? Understanding the sovereignty spectrum | Ladybug Unplugged | Episode 2.

Ladybug Unplugged – Sovereign Cloud Series | Episode 2

Can organisations ever be truly sovereign when using public hyperscaler cloud — or is full sovereignty only possible outside the public cloud altogether?

In this episode, we explore sovereign cloud as a spectrum, not a binary choice. While complete sovereignty implies total control, most organisations operate somewhere between fully self‑managed infrastructure and public hyperscaler cloud.

In this episode, we discuss:

  • Whether true sovereignty is possible on public cloud
  • Why hyperscaler cloud introduces inherent limits to full control
  • What “sovereign enough” means in practice for most workloads
  • The different levels of sovereignty, from hyperscalers to hybrid models and self‑managed data centres
  • How European sovereign cloud offerings, partnerships, and local providers fit into the sovereignty spectrum
  • The legal and operational differences between hyperscaler sovereign regions and independent European cloud providers

This episode helps decision‑makers move beyond absolutist thinking and understand how sovereignty can be designed pragmatically, workload by workload.

Who should watch

CIOs, CTOs, cloud architects, and security and compliance leaders evaluating public cloud, hybrid cloud, and sovereign cloud strategies in Europe and beyond.

🔗 Learn more about digital sovereignty and practical cloud implementation approaches:
👉 https://nordcloud.com/services/cloud-migration/digital-sovereignty/

Part of the Sovereign Cloud series:

May interest you.

How to start with sovereign cloud: A practical playbook for real teams | Ladybug Unplugged | Episode 5How to start with sovereign cloud: A practical playbook for real teams | Ladybug Unplugged | Episode 5Why sovereign cloud fails: Real‑world risks, trade‑offs, and resilience | Ladybug Unplugged | Episode 4Why sovereign cloud fails: Real‑world risks, trade‑offs, and resilience | Ladybug Unplugged | Episode 4What is sovereign AI? Models, control, and why AI changes sovereignty | Ladybug Unplugged | Episode 3What is sovereign AI? Models, control, and why AI changes sovereignty | Ladybug Unplugged | Episode 3What is sovereign cloud? Control, resilience & risk explained | Ladybug Unplugged | Episode 1What is sovereign cloud? Control, resilience & risk explained | Ladybug Unplugged | Episode 1From policy to practice: Your first steps to cloud sovereigntyFrom policy to practice: Your first steps to cloud sovereignty

Can you be sovereign on public cloud? Understanding the sovereignty spectrum.

Lysa Banks:
Let’s move to a segment I like to call one controversial truth. You’ve set us up nicely for this.

Can you, as a user of a hyperscaler, be truly sovereign when using public cloud?

Sander Nieuwenhuis:
If “truly sovereign” means being totally in control of your data and workloads, then the answer is no.

We’ve already discussed the US Cloud Act and the legal connection between hyperscalers and the United States. As long as you are using US‑based hyperscaler cloud, that connection exists, and you are not in full control.

So, no — you cannot be completely sovereign when using hyperscaler public cloud.

Lysa Banks:
So full sovereignty would require something else?

Sander Nieuwenhuis:
Yes. If you want to be fully sovereign, you would need to run your own data centre, operate your own workloads, and control access end‑to‑end. That’s a fully self‑managed situation.

Between public hyperscaler cloud on one end and running everything yourself on the other, there is a wide spectrum of sovereignty. Most organisations sit somewhere in the middle.

For the majority of workloads, being “sovereign enough” is often sufficient.

Lysa Banks:
Let’s talk about that spectrum. What options exist between those two extremes?

Sander Nieuwenhuis:
Hyperscalers now offer European sovereign cloud options with guarantees around data processing staying within Europe, supporting GDPR compliance.

Beyond that, there are more independent European sovereign cloud offerings, such as fully uncoupled environments designed to prevent technical access from outside Europe.

Then there are hybrid approaches. For example, a bank might run core banking systems locally while using hyperscaler cloud for customer‑facing services.

At the far end, organisations may run everything in their own data centres.

We’re also seeing European cloud providers emerging, which further expands the spectrum.

Lysa Banks:
How do partnerships differ from hyperscaler sovereign regions?

Sander Nieuwenhuis:
Even sovereign regions run directly by hyperscalers are still owned by US companies, which means US legislation can still apply.

With certain partnerships, hyperscalers provide technology, but the infrastructure is owned and operated by European companies. That reduces legal ties to the United States and moves further along the sovereignty spectrum.

It’s about gradually reducing external dependency and retaining control within Europe.

Scroll to top