Amazon plans to launch an autonomous European cloud targeting governments and companies in highly regulated industries.
The company's cloud computing division explained that Sovereign Cloud stores data on servers in the European Union and that only Amazon employees living in the European Union can control operations and provide support.
The European Sovereign Cloud is located in Europe and is separate from the rest of the US tech giant's cloud operations.
Customers of the new system will be able to store some data in the European Union, and only Amazon employees living in the European Union and 27 countries will be able to control operations and support the sovereign cloud.
“Customers have control and peace of mind that Amazon will not access or use customer data for any purpose without customer consent, and they can access robust sovereign controls in the cloud of key suppliers,” Amazon said in a statement.
The launch of the new cloud system highlights the need for companies in Europe to adhere to strict data protection rules, as well as the region's push towards so-called digital sovereignty, based on the idea that the European Union should control its data and technology.
The idea of digital sovereignty is linked to the European Union's attempts to promote advanced biotechnologies across Europe and set strict rules for data storage and transfer.
With government agencies and large companies shifting their activities to public cloud operators such as Amazon or Microsoft, the European Union is concerned about data stored on the servers of companies outside the EU.
Some cloud functions may require data to be transferred to and from the EU, and companies and regulators fear that companies outside the EU could access this data. Amazon's Sovereign Cloud may be an attempt to address some of these concerns.
“Amazon’s European Sovereign Cloud underscores our commitment to providing our customers with the advanced sovereign controls, privacy assurances and security features available in the cloud,” the company said.
The European Union has been concerned for years about the bloc's dependence on foreign cloud computing companies, especially American ones.
Europe has tried to address these concerns through the Gaia X initiative, which aims to connect different cloud service providers in the region, giving businesses additional choices about the services they use.
Big US tech companies want to leverage their strengths to meet EU demand for sovereign clouds. Google last year offered benefits including restricting access to European data for residents outside the EU, while Microsoft last year revealed the benefits of “cloud for sovereignty.” “The goal is to increase customers' control over their data.