Privacy activist Max Schrems on Microsoft's EU data move: It won't keep the NSA away

Microsoft has announced plans to ensure data processing of EU cloud services within the borders of the political bloc in a move that expert observers claim reveals problems with the firm's existing setup. Those problems extend to UK public sector organisations seeking to stick within government guidance as well as a …

[Anonymous Coward]

And there's still the CLOUD Act issue...

... whatever is under a US company control can be requested by a a US court bypassing local laws and courts.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: And there's still the CLOUD Act issue...

Oh, there is more than just the Cloud Act - that's just the most recent one.

[Doctor Syntax]

Simple rule of thumb. If your data is processed by any large business it's probably not private and if it's processed by a US corporation or other business with a SU exposure it's certainly not private.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Nothing is going to keep the NSA away

They either pressure the Dutch or UK govt to give them access or just run a fibre tap into Germany's major exchange

The advantage of keeping the data in the Eu is that if all your medical records suddenly show up on a US life insurance company's marketing database you have somebody to sue, and they can't get their brother-in-law the judge in East Texas to rubber stamp it.

Also your cloud data can't be subpoenaed by a US competitor, again with close family ties to E. Texas courthouse, quite as easily.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Yet Another Anonymous coward - Re: Nothing is going to keep the NSA away

No need to pressure them at all. They are more than happy to oblige.

[NoneSuch]

Data Kept in Europe...

Backups kept in Fort Meade.

The NSA is empowered by law to intercept foreign communications and Europe ain't 'Murica. Expect all sorts of shenanigan's in the future.

[Will Godfrey]

Remind me please

All the benefits we're supposed to get from cloud services.

[cookieMonster]

Re: Remind me please

I don’t think the benefits were for the plebs

[TJ1]

Re: Remind me please

Being regularly pi^h^rained on ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't understand what's this big fuss about.

China, Russia and others are just fine with that so why is EU making such a noise ?

[SImon Hobson]

And all this neatly ignores the fact that when you sign into a Microsoft services, your connections are bounced all over the world. Your data may be stored and processed in the EU (or UK) - but the keys to access that data most certainly don't !

And we know, as a fact, that the claimed legal separation (and supporting technical systems) that makes Microsoft US unable to access data stored in (say) Ireland is mere PR. How else with MS hand over data stored in Ireland to the US authorities the moment they were given the right paperwork after the CLOUD act was passed ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not just Microsoft

All major cloud companies bounce your data around the world. All major intelligence services have legal, semi-legal, and off the books ways of accessing your data. You are Number 6.

[TimMaher]

I am NOT a number.

I am a free man.

Oh wait....

Who is number one?

[A random security guy]

From what I gathered

1. US data is not protected

2. UK may pretend but it doesn't honor GDPR anyway

3. GDPR is for EU citizens really.

The NSA, FBI, MI5, MI6, Google, Facebook, and Instagram will get us.

[Twanky]

Re: From what I gathered

Of those, I fear Google, Facebook and Instagram the most.

Escape.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: From what I gathered

Citation for #2? You may like to read the DPA 2018

[Vimes]

"Support is still a [data] transfer”

Didn't Lockheed Martin provide systems for the 2011 census in the UK with access granted for support purposes? Makes you wonder what if anything was sent to the US in that case...

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/feb/19/census-boycott-lockheed-martin

[YetAnotherJoeBlow]

“It is just smoke and mirrors and highly immoral in my opinion”

Now thats the Microsoft we all know and love.

[Shalghar]

I seem to have quite a different definition of "love".

But at least they are to some minor extent honest.

"We’ve identified the technical and operational investments necessary to meet this goal, and we believe we can accomplish it."

So basically, they know what they might have to do to live up to the weaselword expectations and they are confident that they could do if they wanted and were allowed to.

I am undecided wether i should risk this style of empty excuse in discussions with wife and mother in law although i am quite convinced it will blind any of my superiors long enough to get work done in times of crisis.