Every country has different rules about online privacy and sometimes these laws can be conflicting. That’s why many people are asking about the effects of the European privacy laws are on American server hosting.
Privacy Law
Generally speaking, Europe has much more detailed and strict privacy laws compared to the United States. None of the companies founded and managed by the European Union can send user’s PII (Personally Identifiable Information). This outside the borders of the European Union. But what does this mean?
Well, in case you want to store data on American servers, you should know that you are actually exporting PII of European users to America. This means that American server hosts must provide a certain level of safety and security. So, their services will not be considered legal for European companies to use. An agreement between the United States and Europe regarding these questions was signed in 2000 for the first time. The so-called US-EU safe harbor agreement allowed any US company to store data and information from the European Union legally. However, nearly 15 years after this agreement, the European courts have overruled this decision.Â
This makes the situation a little bit complicated. In some cases, someone can try to store the PII of European residents on a website that has servers based in the US. Because of this, there is a chance for the website owner to get sued. Of course, this is just a theoretical possibility and there are still no cases of lawsuits like this.
Pieces of Advice
Experts advise users to learn more about the offer of their hosting provider. And find out whether the provider is familiar with the latest happenings related to European laws and American server hosting. Some of the hosting providers have signed deals with European companies that allow them to provide top-notch hosting services without any legal issues.
Of course, it is a good idea to follow the latest news in this area because as we said both European and American courts can make some decisions that can affect users. Officially, the authorities in both countries focused on these questions have not yet made any comments, but the truth is that European users can use American server hosting in a legal way.
In order to avoid any confusion, contact the service provider and ask them whether they can vouch for the services they provide and whether users won’t break any international laws if they choose them.
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