AWS gets the thumbs=up from European data privacy watchdog
An assortment of European Union data protection groups, collectively known as the Article 29 Working Party has given its biggest thumbs-up so far to Amazon Web Services (AWS), saying its standard contractual clauses meet all the requirements of EU data protection laws.
The Article 29 Working Party’s stamp of approval means that AWS customers who wish to transfer personal data from the European Economic Area (EAA) to countries located outside of that zone can do so, safe in the knowledge that their content will be afforded the same level of protection as it does in Europe.
In a letter sent to AWS, the Article 29 Working Party said: “The EU Data Protection Authorities have analysed the arrangement proposed by Amazon Web Services” and “have concluded that the revised Data Processing Addendum is in line with Standard Contractual Clause 2010/87/EU.”
“The security, privacy, and protection of our customer’s data is our number one priority,” said Dr Werner Vogels, Amazon CTO, in a statement. “Providing customers a DPA that has been approved by the EU data protection authorities is another way in which we are giving them assurances that they will receive the highest levels of data protection from AWS.”
Nevertheless, that’s not to say that Europe’s regulators are totally happy with AWS and its data policies. In fact, the letter makes a big hint that the opposite is true.
“The positive outcome of this limited analysis should not be taken as a finding that Amazon’s contractual arrangements are compliant as a whole with EU data protection rules generally,” the Article 29 Working Party warned.
That’s probably because European regulators have been extremely skeptical and wary of U.S. Web and cloud companies ever since former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed the extent of its mass surveillance programs. Customers are concerned about exactly who is able to access their confidential data, and cloud firms like Amazon have tried to stem thouse fears by offering to store data in specific locations, away from the prying eyes of the NSA.
For example, Amazon’s EU customers have the option of storing their data in Dublin, Ireland, or Frankfurt, but there’s still no absolute guarantee this means the U.S. can’t nose through your files when it wants to – Microsoft is currently fighting a U.S. court order that demands it gives Department of Justice officials access to emails stored in its Dublin, Ireland data center.
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