Amazon rolls out independent cloud for Europe to address stricter privacy standards
Amazon is taking a big step to address the strict regulations that companies and public sector entities face in the European Union. The company is launching an independent cloud service, the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, which will be based and operated out of Europe. The new cloud will offer the same level of security, availability, and performance as existing AWS regions, but will operate independently, allowing customers to keep all metadata within the EU. The new cloud will also have its own billing and usage metering systems.
This move is a clear demonstration of Amazon’s commitment to providing AWS customers with a high level of sovereignty controls, privacy safeguards, and security features. The decision comes after a lengthy dispute between Washington and Brussels over the safety of EU citizens’ data stored in the U.S. by tech companies. After two previous data transfer agreements were rejected, a new framework was approved this summer, providing an adequate level of protection for personal data.
Amazon’s AWS supports 143 security standards and compliance certifications, assisting customers in meeting regulatory requirements. The company is working closely with European regulators and national cybersecurity agencies to ensure the AWS European Sovereign Cloud meets additional data residency, operational autonomy, and resiliency needs in Europe. Germany will be the first AWS Region within the AWS European Sovereign Cloud and will be available to all European customers.
Currently, AWS infrastructure in Europe includes eight regions: Frankfurt, Ireland, London, Milan, Paris, Stockholm, Spain, and Zurich. Amazon has plans to launch five more AWS regions in Canada, Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Thailand. The development of a European AWS cloud will make it easier for public sector organizations and companies with high data security and protection requirements to use AWS services.
