Sunday

3rd Dec 2023

Snowden scandal to cost US cloud companies billions

  • Reding: Member states are stalling on EU data protection reforms (Photo: ec.europa.eu)

The US cloud industry faces up to €25.8 billion in lost revenues following revelations about US-led snooping on EU citizens.

“The surveillance revelations will cost the US cloud computing industry USD 22 to 35 billion in lost revenues over the next three year,” said EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding on Sunday (19 January) at the Digital Life Design Conference in Munich.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Reding drew her estimates from a report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a think tank based in Washington.

Global surveillance programmes and the bulk processing of data by the US and UK intelligence agencies means people are losing trust in US-based cloud businesses, says the report.

Cloud computing allows people to store, manage and process personal data via a network of servers hosted on the Internet

The National Security Agency (NSA) is said to have blanket access to personal data held by top US firms like Google and Microsoft through its Prism programme.

The wider snooping scandal prompted US President Barack Obama to launch reforms to increase oversight of the controversial spy programmes.

In a speech last week, Obama said there is no evidence the NSA sought to violate civil liberties.

But he also noted the legal safeguards that restrict surveillance against US citizens without a warrant “do not apply to foreign persons overseas.”

Meanwhile, the value of people’s data in Europe is on the rise.

Estimates by the commission suggest data on EU citizens was worth some €315 billion in 2011 and is likely to increase to €1 trillion by 2020.

“Only if people are willing to give out their personal data will companies reap the full rewards of our digital single market,” said Reding.

Reding said EU data protection reforms - currently under legislative review by member states - would help restore trust by minimising the amount of data stored by businesses and by imposing big fines for unlawful breaches.

EU insiders say the Snowden scandal helped secure a more data-rights friendly reform package in the European Parliament.

The euro-deputies have, for instance, re-inserted an article aiming to end the legal confusion of companies caught between competing US and EU jurisdictions.

But member states in December were reluctant to commit to a key provision in the package that would harmonise decision-making across the bloc and allow people to file data abuse complaints more easily.

“EU heads of state and government have committed to a ‘timely’ adoption of the new framework. But in real terms there has been little action,” said Reding.

Germany, along with the UK, Denmark, Hungary, and Slovenia are said to be delaying the package.

Orban's sovereignty bill seen as fresh attack on rule of law

Hungary's new sovereignty law has been criticised by the opposition as 'another dark milestone' for the country's democratic values and the rule of law — and it could bring yet another clash between Budapest and Brussels.

Analysis

How Wilders' Dutch extremism goes way beyond Islamophobia

Without losing sight of his pervasive Islamophobia, it is essential to note Geert Wilders' far-right extremism extends to other issues that could drastically alter the nature of Dutch politics — and end its often constructive role in advancing EU policies.

Latest News

  1. Israel's EU ambassador: 'No clean way to do this operation'
  2. Brussels denies having no 'concern' on Spain's amnesty law
  3. Dubai's COP28 — a view from the ground
  4. Germany moves to criminalise NGO search-and-rescue missions
  5. Israel recalls ambassador to Spain in new diplomatic spat
  6. Migrant return bill 'obstructed' as EU states mull new position
  7. Paris and Berlin key to including rape in gender-violence directive
  8. What are the big money debates at COP28 UN climate summit?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  3. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  4. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  5. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  6. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us