Posted by Patrick Ryan, Policy Counsel, Open Internet

As a global cloud provider, we’re often asked by our customers how we protect customer data within the frameworks of local privacy laws, and in particular in the EU. Our approach, just like over 2,500 other US companies that offer services in Europe, is guided by the US - EU Safe Harbor Agreement, which is designed to ensure that transatlantic data transfers remain protected according to seven core EU-like privacy principles. In practice, for Google, Safe Harbor means our users in both Europe and the US can be sure they’re getting not just the same level of service, but also the same level of privacy protection.

You can learn more about our commitment to this legal framework from our recent European Public Policy Blog post and find additional information on what this means to your business on our data protection page.