[plandis]

US needs to economically retaliate in kind. If the US has the same data protections as the EU they’d make up some other excuse to attack US companies. This is what happens when you can’t compete you make up regulatory excuses.

I’m sure I’ll get downvoted by Europeans but it’s the truth. Look at the valuable companies and where they are located :)

[rossdavidh]

While there are certainly cases where European laws are crafted to help keep American companies out, this is not really one of them. It appears to me that the western European institutions have genuine concerns about American companies and three-letter agencies accessing their citizens' data, and by the way they are not paranoid to be concerned.

End result is almost certain to be more cloud providers in Europe, but I'm not sure they're wrong to want that.

[ROTMetro]

You should see how the EU screws American 'certain industry' companies and fails to honor reciprocity deals. Then add that it is legal and tax deductible for German business' to bribe/kickback to corrupt businesses overseas and man does Europe have a sweet deal without our 'open and reciprocal trade'. Unfair denied access to European markets but open access for Europe in the USA. Overseas company's officials expecting bribes/kickbacks like the Germans give overseas.

[superchroma]

The American government tolerates this and other things besides (e.g. lax NATO contributions) so it's evidently not that big an issue?

[superchroma]

Sure, they can champion their own citizens' rights on issues of where and how data is stored, and prevent American user data from being sent offshore in Europe. That would be ideal. :)

[plandis]

It’s not about that. Even if the US copied German law verbatim Germany would just find some other excuse to harm the US. They can’t compete so they unfairly try to prop up their own companies via regulatory means.

[bettysdiagnose]

That's pure conjecture. Even though this forums is anonymous, I would still be embarrassed to write such baseless nonsense.

[lizardactivist]

The NSA and the CIA have been at that for decades. But of course people like you believe it is and has always been fully in their right.