UvA professor warns: Amsterdam is too dependent on American tech companies
Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands must become less dependent on large American technology companies. This is according to Claes de Vreese, a professor at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). He conducts research into the influence of 'Big Tech' and artificial intelligence (AI) on our democracy. According to the professor, the current situation is risky for society.
According to De Vreese, the biggest problem is the way we work. Many organizations and companies in the Netherlands use the 'cloud' of American companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. The professor warns that a large part of the operations in the city would stop immediately if these services were to fail tomorrow. Without this technology, many people would no longer be able to do their work.
In addition to the practical problems, there is also a danger to democracy. Large tech companies have a lot of power over the information we see online and the way we communicate with each other. Because these companies are from the United States, the Netherlands has little influence over their rules. This can pose a risk to the way our democratic society functions.
The professor believes that Amsterdam and the Dutch government must take action. It is important to look for alternatives to these American giants. By making more use of European technology or local systems, we can better protect our own digital infrastructure. This makes the country less vulnerable to outages or political changes abroad.
De Vreese's warning is an important signal for politics and the business community. It shows that we must think carefully about our digital future. The goal is not to ban all American technology, but to find a healthy balance. In this way, the Netherlands remains in control of its own digital systems.