MUNICH (Reuters) – A coalition of 15 major technology companies, led by Microsoft and Ericsson, has launched a new industry group aimed at establishing shared standards for trustworthy technology, according to a Reuters report.
The Trusted Tech Alliance, announced Friday, sets out a set of five guiding principles focused on transparent governance, ethical conduct, secure development, adherence to global security norms, and support for an open digital ecosystem. The initiative is designed to address rising governmental concerns about “digital sovereignty” and the security of data and supply chains amid geopolitical tensions.
“In this period, many governments and countries are feeling pressure to create stronger technology borders … our companies are working together to set this high standard to really make clear what the definition of trust is,” Microsoft President Brad Smith said in an interview with Reuters.
The alliance brings together global players across cloud infrastructure, connectivity, software, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence, including Amazon Web Services, Google, Nokia, SAP, NTT, Reliance Jio, Anthropic and Cohere among others.
The alliance members will self-attest to compliance with the principles, with provisions for independent assessments to help verify adherence.
Ericsson Chief Executive Börje Ekholm noted that no country can achieve full technological sovereignty alone, underscoring the need for collaborative trust frameworks in an interconnected global market.
The Trusted Tech Alliance seeks to offer a corporate-led counterweight to technology fragmentation as nations increasingly pursue domestic rules and investments to limit dependence on foreign tech suppliers.
