TelecomTV TelecomTV
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Events
  • Directory
  • Smart Studio
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • DSP Summits
  • Great Telco Debate
    • |
    • Follow
    • |
    • Subscribe
  • |
  • More
  • Webcasts
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • Great Telco Debate
  • |
  • Follow TelecomTV
  • |
    • Subscribe
    • |
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Follow TelecomTV
  • About
  • Privacy
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Sign In Register Subscribe
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
    • Register
  • Search

Security

Security

Tick tick tick? Is the data sovereignty issue a destructive timebomb or a potential DSP assist?

Ian Scales
By Ian Scales

Sep 23, 2020

via Flickr © WayTru (CC BY 2.0)

via Flickr © WayTru (CC BY 2.0)

  • Real  data privacy concerns underpin Europe’s struggle with US tech giants over where European user data can be kept 
  • But there is also an undeniable dash of regional self-interest at play
  • Does the apparent drive to keep data stored within national and regional borders for security reasons have an upside?

Here’s the story so far. Back in August the US administration decided that TikTok, a Chinese owned dance app, was a security danger since it collected huge amounts of data from its US users and, in some obscure way, might be able to use it to threaten US national security (despite the fact that dozens of of US companies also collected similar amounts of data and much of it was for sale - potentially to China).

Discussions and various disclosures continued to grab headlines as Trump ordered that the company’s US component  be sold to a US company. This move appeared to everyone outside the US as tantamount to extortion - especially as the president seemed to view it as if it were a profitable ‘deal’ more than a security move.  It was pointed out that if TicTok’s sale was forced it would set a precedent for other countries (China) to do the same thing to its foreign players  -  order one or more to sell up or ship out. 

Meanwhile over in Europe

The European Commission, as is its wont, had been carefully trying to find a solution to a direct parallel to the US/TikTok flare-up. Big tech - in particular Facebook -  was shipping European user data back to the US where there were next to no data privacy protections. Various deadlines were set for get-outs and special arrangements that might see the data protected, but in the end the European authorities ran out of road (and probably patience) and in July the European Court of Justice  found that there were insufficient safeguards against spying on European user data  by US intelligence agencies (sound familiar?). 

Step forward Ireland’s  Data Protection Commission (DPC) which issued a ruling instructing Facebook to stop transferring the data. In response Facebook said it might be forced to pull out of Europe and strand its 410 million users if the DPC enforced a ban. 

Facebook has now challenged the order in court, winning a temporary stop. The next hearing in the case will be held in November. By then, of course, the US election will be over but the questions around data sovereignty will still be very much alive.

Will continued fraying of international agreement and co-operation on data movement mean a damaging unpicking of the current global cloud market?

 If the EU stands firm and forces a real settlement on Facebook which secures European user data, will that embolden the Chinese to strike back also. And if Facebook can find some sort of acceptable arrangement involving the utilisation of European cloud assets and US tech companies are forced to follow suit, will that be a boost to European cloud and digital service providers?

Related Topics
  • Analysis & Opinion,
  • Asia-Pacific,
  • Business Models,
  • Europe,
  • Facebook,
  • Media & Entertainment,
  • Network Services,
  • News,
  • North America,
  • Policy & Regulation,
  • Telco & CSP,
  • Telecoms Vendors & OEMs

More Like This

Open RAN

Dish, Etisalat advance Open RAN plans

Apr 9, 2021

Security

Telefónica Tech collaborates with Quside and Qrypt to validate new quantum tech in its VDC cloud service

Apr 9, 2021

5G

What’s up with… Industrial 5G, Telenor & Axiata, Fujitsu & Trend Micro, KKR & Open Dutch Fiber

Apr 8, 2021

Security

5G networks offer a home for IT cybersecurity offerings

Mar 31, 2021

Access Evolution

TIM builds bundles for business, backs tech startup fund

Mar 30, 2021

Email Newsletters

Stay up to date with the latest industry developments: sign up to receive TelecomTV's top news and videos plus exclusive subscriber-only content direct to your inbox – including our daily news briefing and weekly wrap.

Subscribe

Top Picks

Highlights of our content from across TelecomTV today

22:09

How BSS is evolving to support 5G

40:04

How can DSPs accelerate speed to market for new services?

24:04

Supporting the evolution of service provision at BT

41:32

Edge as a driver of new service revenues

  • TelecomTV
  • Decisive Media

TelecomTV is produced by the team at Decisive Media

Menu
  • News
  • Videos
  • Channels
  • Directory
  • Smart Studio
 
  • Surveys
  • Debates
  • Perspectives
  • Events
  • About Us
Our Brands
  • TelecomTV Tracker
  • TelecomTV Perspectives
  • DSP Summits
  • DSP Leaders World Forum
  • The Great Telco Debate
Get In Touch
info@telecomtv.com
+44 (0) 207 448 1070

Request a Media Pack

Follow
  • © Decisive Media Limited 2021. All rights reserved. All brands and products are the trademarks of their respective holder(s).
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Legal Notices