Weighted Score:
27
Very low sovereignty due to US parent control and US jurisdiction exposure.
Company name: Google Ireland Limited
URL: https://about.google
eurotechguide review(s): Google browser, Google search engine, Google Cloud Drive
Digital services offered: Search, e-mail, Cloud drive, Office suite, Maps, Video, Shopping, Chatbot (GPT), Operating Systems, Browser, Photo
| Criterion | Score | Short Assessment | Long Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOV-1 (strategic) | 1 | US parent control. | Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., is headquartered in Mountain View, California (US) and incorporated in Delaware, as shown in its SEC filings. Decisive authority and change-of-control risk therefore reside outside the EU under SOV-1 criteria. → SEAL-1 |
| SOV-2 (legal) | 1 | US jurisdiction exposure. | US jurisdiction exposure applies; EU law may apply for EU users but does not insulate from US authority. → SEAL-1. |
| SOV-3 (data & AI) | 1 | Global processing and AI. | Customer-held crypto control and EU-only confinement are not baseline for consumer Google services; global processing and AI pipelines are integral. → SEAL-1. |
| SOV-4 (operational) | 1 | High lock-in. | EU actors cannot operate Google platforms independently; vendor lock-in is extreme. → SEAL-1 |
| SOV-5 (supply chain) | 1 | Non-EU supply chain. | Global hardware/firmware and US-controlled cloud/platform supply chain. → SEAL-1. |
| SOV-6 (technological) | 1 | Closed proprietary stack. | Proprietary core platforms; limited independent audit/modification rights. → SEAL-1. |
| SOV-7 (security) | 1 | US-governed security. | Security/compliance governance ultimately under US jurisdiction. → SEAL-1. |
| SOV-8 (environmental) | 3 | Detailed reporting, large footprint | Publishes detailed environmental reporting and carbon-free energy targets. Large infrastructure footprint remains. → SEAL-3 |