In a world where digital technologies underwrite everything from national defence to everyday banking, the question of trust has moved to centre stage. Global technology leaders have just launched the “Trusted Tech Alliance” (TTA), a new industry coalition aimed at building trust, security and transparency across the global tech stack. It was unveiled at the 2026 Munich Security Conference on 13 February 2026
What Is the Trusted Tech Alliance?
The Trusted Tech Alliance is a coalition of 15 global technology companies that have pledged to work together to develop and uphold shared standards of trustworthy technology. The alliance’s scope stretches across the full technology stack, from connectivity and cloud computing to semiconductors, software and artificial intelligence.
Rather than focusing on products or markets, the TTA focuses on principles that govern how technology is developed, deployed and maintained, with an emphasis on reliability, security and ethical conduct.
Who Is Behind It?
Founding members span major players from different regions and sectors, including:
- Microsoft, Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services (AWS) from the United States.
- Ericsson and Nokia from Europe.
- Jio Platforms from India.
- Anthropic, SAP, NTT, Saab, Cohere, Cassava Technologies, Hanwha, Nscale, Rapidus and others.
This is not a small club of niche firms; it brings together companies with deep influence over global digital infrastructure and some of the most widely used cloud, connectivity and AI systems in the world.
The questions remain about how they will be implemented in practice. Members have said they will work with governments, regulators and customers to develop verifiable standards, certification mechanisms and security benchmarks in the months ahead.
Why It Matters Now
The launch of the Trusted Tech Alliance comes at a decisive moment. Governments and regulators around the world are wrestling with questions about data sovereignty, national digital security and trust in AI systems. In some regions, these debates have spilt into controversial proposals for data localisation and rigid national tech rules.
Against this backdrop, the TTA represents an industry-led attempt to define what trust means in technology, not through regulation alone, but using shared commitments to transparent, secure and moral practices. It aims to send a signal that companies can cooperate on foundational standards even as individual nations pursue different regulatory agendas.
Five Principles of Trusted Technology
1. Transparent Corporate Governance and Ethical Conduct: Technology companies should explain with transparency how they make decisions, who is accountable, and how they manage risks.
2. Operational Transparency and Secure Development: Security should be the main priority, not an afterthought.
3. Strong Supply Chain and Security Oversight: Every part of the technology supply chain must be secure, from hardware to software to cloud infrastructure. Technology is rarely built in one place. Components come from many countries. Each part must meet security standards.
4. Open, Cooperative, Inclusive and Resilient Digital Ecosystems: Technology systems should work together and remain accessible across borders.
5. Respect for Rule of Law and Data Protection: Organisations must respect privacy laws, regulatory requirements and legal processes wherever they operate.
Critically, the alliance is not just about marketing. Its signatories have businesses spanning critical areas such as AI models, global cloud services and network infrastructure, all sectors where trust and transparency are increasingly seen as competitive differentiators.
A Response to Global Fragmentation
A major driver behind the alliance is the perception that the digital world is becoming fragmented. Policies for data localisation and digital sovereignty are increasing. This can lead to inconsistent standards and higher costs for multinational operations.
The Trusted Tech Alliance wants technology companies from different countries to agree on common rules and standards for building secure, reliable, and ethical technology, rather than each country creating completely separate, conflicting systems.
A New Era of Tech Cooperation?
The Trusted Tech Alliance marks a notable shift: technology leaders are not just competing, they are jointly defining what responsible technology looks like in a disunited world. Whether this becomes a basic platform for international trust in tech or is still a symbolic gesture will depend on execution in the years ahead.
For More info, visit: https://www.trustedtechalliance.com/
Also Read: AI as a Public Good: From Democratic Principles to Ground-Level Practice
