Digitalization is advancing—and with it, the migration of sensitive data to cloud environments. But what many companies fail to consider is that when they work with US providers, they are not only transferring data—they are also transferring responsibility. Even if information is stored in data centers within the EU, access by US authorities can be legally justified. The reason for this is the CLOUD Act.
What is the CLOUD Act?
The CLOUD Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act) is a US law passed in 2018. It obliges US technology companies to grant authorities access to stored data upon request – regardless of where in the world this data is located. This applies even if, for example, it is stored in a European data center in compliance with the GDPR.
For many companies in Europe, this is a difficult-to-calculate gray area – especially for industries with high requirements for confidentiality, data protection, or compliance.
Between digitization and data protection: an area of tension
The pressure to act is high: processes need to be automated, infrastructures modernized, and new business models digitally mapped. At the same time, regulatory requirements are increasing due to laws such as GDPR, NIS2, ISO/IEC 27001, and industry-specific standards.
The result: many organizations are caught between two extremes—the pressure to innovate on the one hand and the need for legal protection on the other.
The crucial question is: How can a cloud strategy be developed that is both future-proof and legally viable?
Our approach at synaforce: Thinking confidently about the cloud
At synaforce, we help companies resolve this conflict by providing cloud architectures that intelligently combine scalability, sovereignty, and security.
Our consulting services range from strategic planning to technical implementation, taking into account not only infrastructure but also governance, data protection, and economic efficiency.
Our principles
✅ Provider-neutral: We don't tie you to individual hyperscalers – instead, we develop multi-cloud or private cloud scenarios that really suit you.
✅ Governance-oriented: IT must not only work, but also be verifiable – we integrate data protection, audits, and reporting right from the start.
✅ Technically and legally sound: We never think of infrastructure in isolation from compliance – instead, we bring IT, legal, and operational requirements together.
With data centers located in Germany, 100% green electricity, a low PUE value, and our own share of PV electricity, we also rely on a sustainable and legally compliant basis for the operation of our infrastructure.
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