↓ Skip to main content
SovereignSky
Norway's Digitalisation Minister: All Organizations Need a Cloud Exit Strategy
  1. Blog/

Norway's Digitalisation Minister: All Organizations Need a Cloud Exit Strategy

Table of Contents

In March 2025, Norway’s Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance, Karianne Tung, made headlines by urging all government and public organizations to prepare for potential disruptions to American cloud services.

The Message
#

Speaking at the Digitaliseringskonferansen, Minister Tung emphasized that Norwegian organizations need contingency plans in case data transfers to the US become legally problematic. While she noted she didn’t specifically use the term “exit strategy,” she stood firmly behind the concept.

The core message: Organizations that rely on Microsoft, Google, and other US cloud providers should have a plan ready for what happens if access to these services is disrupted - whether through regulatory changes, geopolitical events, or legal conflicts.

Why Now?
#

Several factors are driving this urgency:

  1. EU-US Data Privacy Framework fragility - The framework enabling transatlantic data transfers depends on executive orders and oversight bodies that can shift with political changes.

  2. CLOUD Act concerns - US law requires American providers to hand over data to US authorities regardless of where it’s stored.

  3. Geopolitical instability - Political decisions, international crises, or trade disputes could disrupt access to US cloud services.

  4. Norwegian dependency - NSM (Norwegian National Security Authority) reported that over 80% of protected data and systems will be in cloud solutions within ten years - largely outside Norwegian control.

The Reality Check
#

Minister Tung acknowledged the challenge: “It’s naive to think we can move away from Microsoft and Google tomorrow. We are so dependent on those companies today, and it’s demanding.”

This isn’t about immediate migration - it’s about preparedness. Having a strategy means understanding:

  • What data and services you have in US cloud platforms
  • What alternatives exist
  • How quickly you could migrate if needed
  • What would break if access was lost

European Alternatives
#

Organizations looking to reduce US cloud dependency can consider:

Nordic providers:

  • NetNordic (Norway)
  • Elastx (Sweden)
  • UpCloud (Finland)

European providers:

  • Scaleway (France)
  • Hetzner (Germany)
  • OVHCloud (France)

Denmark Leading by Example
#

Minister Tung has been following Denmark’s approach closely. The Danish Digitalisation Ministry has announced plans to migrate from Windows to Linux and replace Office 365 with LibreOffice - with the goal of eliminating Microsoft dependency before year-end.

Tung indicated Norway is watching to “see if we can think similarly.”

What This Means for Organizations
#

Every organization using US cloud services should:

  1. Inventory your cloud dependencies - Know what you have where
  2. Assess criticality - What would the impact be if access was lost?
  3. Evaluate alternatives - What European or on-premise options exist?
  4. Document a migration path - Even if you never use it
  5. Test your assumptions - Can your critical systems actually run elsewhere?

Sources
#