Google Cloud regularly works with customers, partners, and registrars to deliver technology that meets their needs. We have been helping customers with digital sovereignty solutions for almost ten years.
With this longstanding commitment, we are excited to share technical and commercial updates to our sovereign cloud solutions, enabling customers to gain greater control, choice, and security in the cloud without sacrificing functionality.
Building on the first sovereign solutions we introduced years ago, we’ve massively scaled our global infrastructure footprint, now comprising more than:
- 42 cloud regions
- 127 zones
- to work at the network edge locations
- 33 subsea cable investments
We have built important partnerships across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Our partners include:
- Schwarz Group and T-Systems in Germany
- S3NS in France
- Minsait in Spain
- Telecom Italia in Italy
- Clarence in Belgium and Luxembourg
- CNTXT in Saudi Arabia
- KDDI in Japan
- Worldwide Technology in the United States
Our Pledge To Customer Choice
Digital sovereignty means more than just managing encryption keys. It supports giving customers the flexibility their global businesses need. It also allows them to use multiple clouds and secure their data with advanced technologies.
We have always supported customers in choosing providers and solutions that work for them. Because cloud sovereignty varies by customer, we offer a range of solutions to address different needs and risk levels.
We back our strong customer commitments with reliable sovereign controls and solutions, all available now. Our updated Sovereign Cloud solution portfolio includes:
- Google Cloud Data Boundary lets customers decide where content is stored or processed, and allows them to manage encryption keys (which lock and unlock data) outside Google’s infrastructure. This helps them meet specific data control needs in any market.
Google Cloud Data Boundary customers can access a broad range of Google Cloud products, including AI services. They benefit from features such as confidential computing and external key management with key access justifications, which let them control and deny access to their data as needed. With data boundaries, sovereign controls, customers can limit data processing to the United States or the EU, select countries for local data storage, and use client-side encryption to prevent unauthorized access, even by Google, to their most critical content.
We are also introducing User Data Shield, which uses Mandiant services (security experts) to check the security of customer applications built on the Google Cloud data boundary. User Data Shield performs regular security testing of these customer applications to help confirm that sovereignty rules are being followed.
- Google Cloud Dedicated delivers a solution created to meet local sovereignty requirements, enabled by independent local and regional partners. For example, Google Cloud has partnered with Thales since 2021 to build a first-of-its-kind, S3NS-trusted cloud for Europe.
This offering with Thales is intended to provide a rich set of Google Cloud services with GPUs to support AI workloads. It is operated by S3NS, a standalone French entity currently in preview. S3NS solution is designed to satisfy the rigorous security and functional resilience requirements of France’s SecNumCloud standards. We are expanding our Google Cloud dedicated footprint globally and will include Launch Next in Germany.
For France to truly embrace digital sovereignty, it is essential to have a cloud solution that unites the greater power of hyperscale technology with the strictest local security and administrative controls. S3NS is committed to providing French organizations with access to advanced cloud services, including critical AI capabilities, all operated within France by a European operator to meet and exceed the rigorous SecNumCloud standards, said Christophe Solomon, EVP Information Systems and Secured Communications at Thales.
- Google Cloud air-gapped is a standalone solution designed to operate without any direct or indirect connection to external networks; ie, an air-gapped system. It is intended for customers in fields such as intelligence and defense that require high-level data security and data residency controls, meaning strict oversight of where data is stored. Google, the customer, or a Google partner can take responsibility for deploying and managing this solution.
This solution uses open-source components and includes selected AI, database, and infrastructure services. Relying on open-source technology helps ensure business continuity and resilience during service disruptions. In 2024, Google Cloud Air Gapped was approved to host the US government’s top secret and secret-level data.
Working with Google Cloud to introduce sovereign offerings can give our joint clients greater control, choice, and security in the cloud without jeopardizing the functionality of their underlying cloud architectures, said Scott Alfieri, Senior Managing Director and Google Business Group Lead at Accenture. Google Cloud’s extensive global infrastructure, coupled with Accenture’s transformation and industry expertise, helps organizations build an agile and scalable foundation, unlocking chances for growth and continuous innovation.
Local Control Global Security
Security and sovereignty go hand-in-hand. When customers control their data and operations locally, they can feel more confident about security; however, true security sovereignty is not possible if outdated infrastructure exposes data to loss or theft.
According to the Google Threat Intelligence Group and Google Cloud’s Office of the CISO (Chief Information Security Officer), cyber attacks globally are becoming more advanced. Attackers are now leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and techniques to exploit weaknesses in older software platforms and outdated systems.
With Google Cloud, customers receive sovereign solutions along with top security features. These include Secure by Design technology and the expertise of the Google Threat Intelligence Group and Mandiant Consulting, which work at the front lines of cyber defense and partner with over 80 governments globally.
Google Cloud CyberSheild uses AI and intelligence-driven tools to help governments defend against large-scale threats. Mandiant managed defense services also let customers around the world strengthen their security teams with our experts.
Google’s Sovereign Cloud Solutions let customers leverage Google Cloud’s secure foundation and access state-of-the-art security features, including:
- Confidential Computing
- Zero Trust
- Post Quantum Cryptography
- AI-Driven Defenses
These features can be delivered faster and at a lower cost than building them in-house.
Sovereign Solutions For Any Organization
We are committed to building trust, giving our customers control, and helping organizations confidently handle digital sovereignty. We continue to work with customers, partners, and regulators to improve and deliver the sovereign cloud solutions needed.
Learn more about our digital sovereignty support on our website or by contacting your account manager.
Source: Advancing sovereignty, choice, and security in the cloud for our customers May 21, 2025
