Microsoft denies ICC service cutoff as prosecutor email case fuels Europe’s cloud sovereignty push
Microsoft says it did not stop or suspend services to the International Criminal Court, after reports that the ICC chief prosecutor’s Microsoft email account was disabled following U.S. sanctions. The dispute has intensified European concerns about dependence on U.S. tech providers for critical digital infrastructure.
The Associated Press reported that Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor, lost access to a Microsoft email address after he was targeted by U.S. sanctions tied to an executive order aimed at the court. Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company’s actions “did not in any way involve the cessation of services to the ICC.”
Microsoft said it remained in contact with the court during the process that led to the disconnection of the sanctioned official from Microsoft services. The company has not publicly detailed the exact technical or policy steps that resulted in the account being disabled.
Europe’s kill switch fears resurface
The episode has been cited in Europe as a real-world test of what officials describe as a potential kill switch risk, where U.S. legal or political pressure could disrupt services delivered by American hyperscalers. Microsoft, Google and Amazon dominate large parts of Europe’s cloud and productivity software markets.
In recent months, Microsoft has sought to reassure European governments by pledging additional legal and contractual commitments for cloud operations. Smith has said the company would contest orders to halt cloud services where possible and has pointed to expanded European data center plans.
Policy pressure builds in the Netherlands
The ICC incident has also triggered debate in the Netherlands, where the court is based, about reducing reliance on non-European cloud services. Dutch lawmakers have pushed proposals that would increase the share of Dutch or European cloud usage within government over the coming years.
European officials and lawmakers argue that sovereignty controls, local governance and clearer legal safeguards are needed when public institutions rely on global cloud platforms. The ICC prosecutor’s email case is now being used as a concrete example in that broader policy shift.
