Amazon Web Services (AWS) is launching a brand new cloud service that is located and operated entirely within Europe. The move is a direct response to growing fears on the continent about data privacy and the power of U.S. tech giants.
The new “AWS European Sovereign Cloud” will be both physically and legally separate from all of Amazon’s other servers. This means all the data will be stored in European data centers, and the entire system will be run by a German company with all-European staff.
This is a big deal for European governments and businesses, who have become increasingly worried about U.S. laws, like the Cloud Act, which can force American companies to hand over data to U.S. authorities, even if that data is stored in another country.
An AWS executive explained that the new, independent cloud could even continue to operate if the European Union were somehow disconnected from the rest of the internet or if the U.S. were to ban software exports.
Amazon is not alone in making these kinds of moves. Its main rivals, Microsoft and Google, are also working to address European data privacy concerns. Microsoft already offers to store European customer data exclusively within the EU, and Google recently announced a massive new investment in German data centers.
The first data center for the new AWS European cloud is being built in Germany, with more to follow across the continent. It’s a clear sign that the world’s biggest cloud provider is willing to make major changes to win the trust—and the business—of its European customers.
