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The Patriot Act and the EU Cloud

Posted by samzenpus on from the lets-see-what-you-got-there dept.

ISoldat53 writes "Gordon Frazer, managing director of Microsoft UK said that the Patriot Act allows government access to data in its cloud services even in Europe. Though he said that 'customers would be informed wherever possible,' he could not provide a guarantee that they would be informed if a gagging order, injunction or U.S. National Security Letter permits it."

3 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Re:More reasons why the Cloud is a disaster by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Er, presumably if there were such a National Security Letter, housing it yourself wouldnt give you much choice in the matter either; you would be forced to turn over the data regardless.

    This article is basically an excuse to rail at the cloud and at the US government, but it really doesnt reveal any new information.

    Actually, TFA has a snippet that is interesting:

    Frazer explained that, as Microsoft is a U.S.-headquartered company, it has to comply with local laws (the United States, as well as any other location where one of its subsidiary companies is based).

    While the focus is on the US Patriot Act; that quote implies that cloud based data is essentially subject to any local law and that privacy laws don't protect someone if the law requires access outside of the jurisdiction covered by privacy laws. A local subsidiary would cough up the information, as required by law, not the one where the data may have originated and is covered by privacy laws.

    Carried to an extreme, MS is saying that loud based computing renders privacy laws moot. It also means that presumably protect information could be accessed by any state that wishes to pass laws granting itself access (if a company has a subsidiary in that state).

    While the US may be at the vanguard, the implications go far beyond there.

    --
    I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
  2. encryption. it's the only way "the cloud" is safe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Who in their right mind would store their sensitive data in the cloud and not encrypt it locally first? That seems crazy. Patriot act or no, it's nuts.

  3. Re:Politics making technology useless by AHuxley · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If the US has a base, is friendly with a nation or your telco loops data via friend of the US or a country with a US base ....
    Your data is now US data and has been for many years. The problem with the Patriot Act is you not just been watched anymore.
    Think hard before you share too much data with anything US on a network.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"