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Microsoft Opens Up Azure Cloud in Germany Even It Can't Access (windowsitpro.com)
Reader v3rgEz writes: International customers are becoming increasingly concerned about the U.S.'s data snooping practices, and it appears Microsoft has devised a solution to make them happy: Set up Azure cloud in a foreign region. Because it's under the technical ownership of a German company named Deutsche Telekom, even Microsoft doesn't have access to the data. The move is not surprising, but it could set a precedent that encourages others to move their corporate data away from U.S. shores to countries that take a friendlier view of encryption and data privacy. From the official blog post, "Microsoft has -- in this new model -- no rights at all to access customer data. Only for special purpose like a support call from a customer a temporary access will be granted by the Data Trustee to the Microsoft engineer, and only for the specified area. After that time (using a technology similar to what you might know as JIT) all access is revoked automatically. So to repeat: Access is granted to the Microsoft engineer only by the Data Trustee. Microsoft has no way to grant that access to itself."
Just a little Mom and Pop business in Germany with an $81 Billion USD market capitalization. :)
Yet again, laws matter.
If the US wants to keep data centers in the US, it needs to understand that making draconian laws is NOT the way to go about it.
Simply put, right now, I would NOT be building a data center in the US if my primary customer base was outside of the US, period.
Until Germany does the same thing the US is doing.
This may seem like a distinctly American problem, but it is global. Every government; from the direst dictatorships to the most liberal democracies, wants their own version of the "Snooper's Charter", and wants to crush anyone who dares question their unlimited right to spy on their own citizens 24/7. This is a theory of government that is unconstrained by any notion of civil liberty, responsible or constrained government power.
The world is run by sociopathic monsters with a pack of braindead retarded legislators who gave up actually governing years ago.
Welcome to Dystopia, and now there's an app for that!
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
More like:
US Government: "We will fine you until you comply with the order giving us access to the servers."
Microsoft:"Those aren't our servers. We don't have access."
US Government: "Fine have it your way."
three weeks later
German Government: "We will fine you until you comply with the order giving us access to the servers."
Deutsche Telekom: "Fuck you, Microsoft, take your servers back."
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
MS and other companies have no objection to proper court orders in the appropriate country following due process. This move is due to the US governments unwillingness to follow due process and demand access to servers and data residing in foreign countries without going through the legal processes of that country. So going to German court and arguing the case for access they will be fine with, but of course that will be issued against Deutch Telkom not MS