Google Admits Handing over European User Data to US Intelligence Agencies
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Re: Google Admits Handing over European User Data to US Intelligence Agencies
#2The first sentence of the article also mentions that Microsoft has been forced to do the same thing.
Re: Google Admits Handing over European User Data to US Intelligence Agencies
#3Corporations based and operating in the US are subject to the PATRIOT Act, it's a shitty law but it's still the law. At least they are transparent about it.
Edit: here is the article in question: http://www.wiwo.de/politik-weltwirtschaft/google-server-in-e...
They asked if their EU based dataceters are also subject to US warrants and they answered that they are.
Re: Google Admits Handing over European User Data to US Intelligence Agencies
#4Corporations based and operating in the US are subject to the PATRIOT Act, it's a shitty law but it's still the law. At least they are transparent about it. Edit: here is the article in question: http://www.wiwo.de/politik-weltwirtschaft/google-server-in-e... They asked if their EU based dataceters are also subject to US warrants and they answered that they are.
"European Union legislation requires companies to protect the personal information of EU citizens"
It's the law. What's more, it's a good law. I am concerned that they broke it, and seem to have tried to hide this.
Re: Google Admits Handing over European User Data to US Intelligence Agencies
#5"Do no evil" -- What do you think? Does this qualify as a breach of their motto? Or is it only a clear message to those who may have thought their Google data is private?
Re: Google Admits Handing over European User Data to US Intelligence Agencies
#6Corporations based and operating in the US are subject to the PATRIOT Act, it's a shitty law but it's still the law. At least they are transparent about it. Edit: here is the article in question: http://www.wiwo.de/politik-weltwirtschaft/google-server-in-e... They asked if their EU based dataceters are also subject to US warrants and they answered that they are.
'Being transparent' about it is not what comes to my mind if we're including these gag orders.
I won't comment on the law in general for the discussion's sake, but not being allowed (or: required) to be transparent about the disclosure of data is just evil in my world.
Re: Google Admits Handing over European User Data to US Intelligence Agencies
#7One solution might be for Google to spin off its EU datacenter operations into a company incorporated outside of US jurisdiction. The Patriot Act would then no longer apply and Google would not be force to break EU law.
Re: Google Admits Handing over European User Data to US Intelligence Agencies
#8Corporations based and operating in the US are subject to the PATRIOT Act, it's a shitty law but it's still the law. At least they are transparent about it. Edit: here is the article in question: http://www.wiwo.de/politik-weltwirtschaft/google-server-in-e... They asked if their EU based dataceters are also subject to US warrants and they answered that they are.
And corporations based and operating in Europe are subject to our data protection laws. Microsoft and Google (and plenty others) have fully fledged companies in Europe. This raises an interesting question - what should companies do when they are subject to mutually exclusive laws like that?
My opinion is that they need to comply with the laws, which might require not having overseas companies in this case. Could they operate without them? Do they only exist for dodging huge amounts of taxes? (If yes, then this means that Google decided to "do evil" in return for a 20% boost in earnings)
Re: Google Admits Handing over European User Data to US Intelligence Agencies
#9Corporations based and operating in the US are subject to the PATRIOT Act, it's a shitty law but it's still the law. At least they are transparent about it. Edit: here is the article in question: http://www.wiwo.de/politik-weltwirtschaft/google-server-in-e... They asked if their EU based dataceters are also subject to US warrants and they answered that they are.
"European Union legislation requires companies to protect the personal information of EU citizens" It's the law. What's more, it's a good law. I am concerned that they broke it, and seem to have tried to hide this.
The Patriot Act seems to trump EU law in many cases, as security fears oft trump privacy concerns. It's a good discussion to be had for sure, am I'm sure EU parliament members will debate it in length:
They don't seem to have tried to hide anything. From another report: http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Google-also-passe...
The previous Microsoft admission that sparked this line of questioning: http://www.h-online.com/news/item/US-authorities-have-access...
Relevant: the Google Transparency Report: http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/
Re: Google Admits Handing over European User Data to US Intelligence Agencies
#10The first sentence of the article also mentions that Microsoft has been forced to do the same thing.
No it doesn't:
> Gordon Frazer, Microsoft UK's managing director, made news headlines some weeks ago when he admitted that Microsoft can be compelled to share data with the US government regardless of where it is hosted in the world.