Microsoft details data protection plans for EU cloud customers – report

Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) said data stored by its European cloud customers would stay in Europe, under European Law, and operations would be controlled by its local staff, and under full control of customers, Reuters reported.

On Monday, Microsoft said all remote access by its engineers to the systems that store and process European data would be approved and monitored by European resident personnel in real-time, the report added.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha.

The company noted that its sovereign private cloud is in preview mode currently and will be generally available later this year.

In April, the U.S. tech giant announced five digital commitments to Europe, including expansion of its cloud and AI infrastructure in the region.

The company’s five commitments are — help build a broad AI and cloud ecosystem across Europe; uphold Europe’s digital resilience even when there is geopolitical volatility; continue to protect the privacy of European data; always help protect and defend Europe’s cybersecurity; and help strengthen Europe’s economic competitiveness, including for open source.

European companies and governments are concerned about their data being moved outside the region and into the hands of other countries, like the U.S., the report added.