Cloud Computing

The delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics—over the internet from remote data centers rather than local servers or personal computers. Cloud computing creates complex privacy considerations because data physically resides with cloud providers, often in multiple geographic locations, and multiple parties may access or process the data. From a privacy perspective, using cloud services typically makes you a data controller and the cloud provider a data processor, requiring data processing agreements under GDPR Article 28. Key privacy issues include data location and residency, international transfers, security responsibilities, subprocessor chains, data access by cloud provider employees, government access to cloud data, and breach notification. Organizations must conduct due diligence on cloud providers, establish clear contractual terms, understand data flows, implement appropriate security measures, and ensure cloud arrangements comply with privacy laws.