Most enterprise infrastructure runs on Microsoft, Google, or AWS. Under the CLOUD Act, US authorities can access that data — regardless of where it's stored, and without informing you.
Every enterprise running on US-controlled cloud infrastructure faces these risks — today, not hypothetically.
The Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (2018) compels US-based cloud service providers to hand over data upon request — regardless of which country that data sits in. Storing your data in a Frankfurt data centre hosted by Microsoft Azure provides no legal protection against a US warrant. The physical location of the server is irrelevant when the provider is a US entity.
GDPR Article 48 prohibits the transfer of EU personal data to foreign authorities unless authorised by an EU-recognised legal instrument — and a US CLOUD Act warrant is not one. If your cloud provider discloses your data in response to a US government request, you are simultaneously subject to GDPR enforcement for the unlawful transfer. There is no legal path out of this conflict under current law.
True data sovereignty means your organisation — and only your organisation — decides who accesses your information. Once your data resides with a US cloud provider, that sovereignty is transferred. A foreign government can initiate access without your knowledge, without your consent, and without informing your local data protection authority. Your legal team will not be notified. Your DPO will not be informed.
M&A strategies, legally-binding contracts, pending patents, board-level communications — all of it passes through Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or Zoom. These platforms store metadata, recordings, and transcripts in US-jurisdictional infrastructure. Any legally privileged document, negotiation, or strategic communication transmitted over these platforms is subject to interception under CLOUD Act orders or broader intelligence gathering frameworks including FISA Section 702.
Enterprises operating across multiple jurisdictions have discovered that US cloud dependency is not merely a privacy risk — it is an operational risk. American sanctions regimes, executive orders, and geopolitical decisions have resulted in companies being disconnected from their cloud infrastructure with little notice. When your communications, storage, and collaboration platform is controlled by a US entity, your business continuity is subject to Washington's foreign policy agenda.
Video conferencing platforms operated by US companies — Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, Cisco Webex — route, store, and process communications through US-controlled infrastructure. Meeting recordings, transcripts, participant metadata, and content shared during calls are stored under US jurisdiction. For enterprises discussing commercially sensitive matters, regulatory decisions, or legally privileged information, this represents a structural and unmitigable risk.
There is no compliant way to use US cloud infrastructure for sensitive EU enterprise data. The laws are structurally incompatible.
US cloud providers must hand over data stored anywhere in the world when served with a valid US government order. Refusal is not an option. The provider is not required to notify the data subject. EU location of the data is irrelevant.
EU personal data cannot be transferred to a foreign government or law enforcement authority unless through an approved legal instrument — such as a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT). A US CLOUD Act warrant does not qualify. Compliance exposes the data controller to fines of up to €20M or 4% of global annual turnover.
These platforms are essential to enterprise operations — and every one of them is subject to US jurisdiction.
Microsoft confirmed in 2022 that EU customer data stored in EU data centres can still be accessed by US authorities under the CLOUD Act. Azure, Exchange, SharePoint, and Teams all fall within scope.
Google LLC is a US entity. All data processed through Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Meet — regardless of regional data residency settings — is subject to CLOUD Act compelled disclosure orders.
Zoom Video Communications is headquartered in San Jose, California. Meeting recordings, transcripts, chat logs, and participant data are stored in US-jurisdictional infrastructure by default.
Cisco Systems is a US corporation. Webex meeting data, recordings, and collaboration content — including Webex Teams messages — are subject to US government data access requests.
Slack Technologies is a US-incorporated entity, now owned by Salesforce. All workspace messages, files, and integrations are governed by US law and can be compelled under CLOUD Act orders.
AWS is a division of Amazon.com Inc., a US entity. Data hosted in AWS EU regions, including Frankfurt and Dublin, remains accessible to US authorities via CLOUD Act compelled disclosure.
Talk to our enterprise team about a sovereign communications deployment tailored to your legal, operational, and security requirements.