The European Fee and European Parliament’s use of cloud computing solutions presented by Amazon and Microsoft has prompted two EU privateness investigations above considerations about the transfer of personal info to the United States.
Information privateness came less than scrutiny just after revelations in 2013 by previous US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden of mass US surveillance.
In reaction, Europe’s highest court docket very last yr rejected a transatlantic info transfer deal, regarded as the Privacy Defend, adhering to a lengthy-running dispute concerning Fb and Austrian privateness activist Max Schrems.
EU privateness watchdog the European Information Defense Supervisor (EDPS) on Thursday opened the investigations just after determining sure types of contracts concerning EU establishments and the two companies that require individual notice.
The investigations, a person of which focuses on the use of Microsoft Place of work 365 by the European Fee, will search into no matter if the EU bodies comply with privateness rules and the Courtroom judgment.
The EU watchdog reported EU bodies had been relying increasingly on cloud-centered software and cloud infrastructure or platform solutions from substantial US providers governed by legislation that allows disproportionate surveillance pursuits by the US authorities.
“I am knowledgeable that the ‘Cloud II contracts’ had been signed in early 2020 just before the Schrems II Judgement and that each Amazon and Microsoft have announced new measures with the intention to align themselves with the judgment,” EDPS head Wojciech Wiewiorowski reported.
“Yet, these announced measures might not be ample to make certain complete compliance with EU info defense legislation and therefore the need to have to examine this properly.”
Sector leader Amazon, Alphabet unit Google and Microsoft dominate the realm of info storage globally.
Microsoft reported it was self-confident that it would be ready to swiftly handle any considerations.
“We’ve committed to problem every govt request for an EU public sector or industrial customer’s info wherever we have a lawful foundation for accomplishing so,” a spokeswoman reported.
“And we will provide monetary payment to our customers’ consumers if we disclose info in violation of the relevant privateness regulations that brings about harm,” she reported.
Neither the Fee nor the Parliament responded to requests for comment.