- Microsoft completes its EU data limit project
- European cloud data will now be stored in the EU
- Meta previously received an EU fine for data storage in the United States
Microsoft Cloud customers in the EU will now be able to store and process their data in the continent after the company has finally completed a major project.
In an ad, Microsoft has said that its new EU data limit project means that customers can now store professional “technical support interactions” data for basic cloud services within the EFTA and the EU.
Previously, Microsoft Cloud customers have sent their data to the United States, which raised EU confidentiality problems.
Greater control
The announcement is the completion of a “massive and multi -year” project, to achieve Microsoft’s objectives to provide a solution that processes and stores customer data.
It will include: “Pseudonymized customer and personal data for Microsoft Core cloud services – including Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform and most Azure services – in the EU and EFT regions.”
The project was initially launched in January 2023, the first phase focusing on basic services. Phase 2 has expanded the scope of the EU data limit to include “pseudonymized personal data”, and now in this final phase, Microsoft cloud sovereignty gives customers more control, transparency and responsibility thanks to European cloud principles.
Microsoft says that it has invested more than $ 20 billion in AI and cloud infrastructure to meet growing demand and “expand local options”.
EU regulators have previously raised concerns about how Microsoft processes data from cloud service users, and Microsoft is not the only target. Meta received a giant fine of $ 1.3 billion and was ordered to stop transferring EU data to the United States.
The obligation to stop the storage of personal data of EU individuals would be a “massive company to be carried out, financially, technically and logistical”, said Nigel Jones, co-founder of the private life hub, it is therefore not surprising that this Microsoft project took more than two years.
