Microsoft's top lawyer's commitment to Europe: If required, will take the US government to court but will not ...

Microsoft’s top legal officer has pledged to sue the US government if necessary to safeguard European customers’ access to its services, a report claims. Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith, who is the company’s vice-chair and top lawyer, reportedly made this comment after European leaders raised concerns when President Trump temporarily suspended military and intelligence support to Ukraine, prompting Microsoft to offer new “continuity of access” assurances. As per the report, the remarks come as Europe questions the U.S. president’s commitment to the transatlantic security alliance and whether American technology could be restricted as part of broader negotiations with the bloc.
In a statement to The Financial Times, Smith said: “We as a company need to be a source of digital stability during a period of geopolitical volatility.”

As per the FT report, Microsoft has outlined five “digital commitments” to Europe, including contesting any US government order to halt cloud services to European customers “through the courts.”
The report cited Smith as claiming that the company will establish a European board of directors to oversee its cloud service and operate under European law. To strengthen its presence, Microsoft is also reportedly planning to increase its European data-centre capacity by 40% over the next two years across 16 countries and spend “tens of billions of dollars” annually on these facilities.
These steps mark the first time a major US tech firm has sought to reassure European customers amid trade tensions and calls for greater tech sovereignty. Concerns have grown that the US government, under Trump, may “suspend or block the operations of American tech companies in Europe,” particularly after his temporary halt of military aid to Ukraine.
“I think that there are a number of leaders in governments in Europe that have been jarred when the US administration suspended intelligence and military support to Ukraine. And so they asked themselves about how they’re getting their defence and security protection more broadly. And I think it’s therefore important for us to make clear that Europe can count on us, including in the cybersecurity space,” Smith noted.
The report also claims that Microsoft will build into its contracts a legal guarantee to challenge any non-European government order that could interrupt its cloud services in Europe. Smith noted that while he must consider potential US pushback, Microsoft has “a long track record of going to court against multiple administrations.”
Given that Europe accounts for over a quarter of its revenue, Smith said maintaining trust with European governments is “indispensable.”