19:39 21 October 2019
Rzeczpospolita: secrets of Polish companies may be at risk
A public computing cloud is being created under the aegis of the Polish government. Sensitive data of domestic companies are, among other things, to be stored there. The problem is that Google became the strategic partner of the National Cloud Operator, an institution created by the state-controlled PKO BP bank and PFR. The American technology giant will create data centers in Poland. And although all the involved sides claim that files stored in Poland will be safe, it is not that certain, Rzeczpospolita daily writes.
In the US, the Cloud Act – that is the law on the “legal use of data abroad” – has been in force since 2018. By virtue of the law, the US government can, without the need to conclude bilateral agreements with other countries, force American cloud operators to share customer data citing security reasons. This applies not only to Google but also to such companies as Amazon and Microsoft.
Katarzyna Szczudlik, an attorney at Wardyński & Partners, explains that without a bilateral agreement with the US Poland is helpless here – there is no way to oppose the controversial provisions. Google’s communications manager Adam Malczak explains that the company – just like all technology companies – receives requests for access to data from institutions around the world, but it strongly defends the privacy of its clients’ data.
