all-in-one privacy solution":["Proton Unlimited is een all-in-one privacy-oplossing"],"Black Friday":["Black Friday"],"No ads. Privacy by default.":["Geen advertenties. Standaard privacy."],"People before profits":["Mensen vóór winst"],"Security through transparency":["Veiligheid door openheid"],"The best Proton Mail ${ BLACK_FRIDAY } deals":["De beste ${ BLACK_FRIDAY }-deals voor Proton Mail"],"The world’s only community- supported email service":["'s Werelds enige door de community ondersteunde e-mailservice"]},"specialoffer:limited":{"${ hours } hour":["${ hours } uur","${ hours } uur"],"${ hoursLeft }, ${ minutesLeft } and ${ secondsLeft } left":["Nog ${ hoursLeft }, ${ minutesLeft } en ${ secondsLeft } resterend"],"${ minutes } minute":["${ minutes } minuut","${ minutes } minuten"],"${ seconds } second":["${ seconds } seconde","${ seconds } seconden"],"Limited time offer":["Aanbieding beperkt geldig"]},"specialoffer:listitem":{"Create multiple addresses":["Maak meerdere e-mailadressen aan"],"Hide-my-email aliases":["Hide-my-email-aliassen"],"Quickly unsubscribe from newsletters":["Meld u eenvoudig af voor nieuwsbrieven"],"Use your own domain name":["Gebruik uw eigen domeinnaam"]},"specialoffer:logos":{"As featured in":["Zoals te lezen in"]},"specialoffer:metadescription":{"Get an encrypted email that protects your privacy":["Kies voor beveiligde e-mail die uw privacy beschermt"]},"specialoffer:metatitle":{"Proton Mail Black Friday Sale - Up to 40% off":["Proton Mail Black Friday Sale - Tot 40% korting"]},"specialoffer:newmetadescription":{"Get up to 40% off Proton Mail subscriptions this Black Friday. Find great deals on our secure end-to-end encrypted email plans.":["Profiteer tijdens Black Friday van wel 40% korting op Proton Mail-abonnementen. Bekijk geweldige aanbiedingen voor onze veilige, end-to-end versleutelde e-mailabonnementen."]},"specialoffer:newmetatitle":{"Proton Mail Black Friday sale | Up to 40% off secure email":["Proton Mail Black Friday Sale | Tot 40% korting op veilige e-mail"]},"specialoffer:note":{"* Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first year":["*U betaalt ${ TOTAL_SUM } voor het eerste jaar"],"*Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first 2 years":["*U betaalt ${ TOTAL_SUM } voor de eerste 2 jaar"],"30-day money-back guarantee":["30 dagen niet-goed-geld-terug-garantie"],"Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first 2 years":["U betaalt ${ TOTAL_SUM } voor de eerste 2 jaar"],"Billed at ${ TOTAL_SUM } for the first year":["U betaalt ${ TOTAL_SUM } voor het eerste jaar"],"You save ${ SAVE_SUM }":["U bespaart ${ SAVE_SUM }"]},"specialoffer:off":{"${ PERCENT_OFF } off":["−${ PERCENT_OFF }"]},"specialoffer:testimonial":{"I love my ProtonMail":["Ik ben fan van ProtonMail"],"My favorite email service":["Mijn favoriete e-mailservice"],"Thanks Proton for keeping us all safe in the complicated internet universe.":["Proton houdt ons allemaal veilig in het complexe internetuniversum."],"You get what you pay for. In the case of big tech, if you pay nothing, you get used. I quit using Gmail and switched to @ProtonMail":["Je krijgt waarvoor je betaalt. In het geval van Big Tech betekent 'gratis' dat je wordt gebruikt. Ik ben gestopt met Gmail en overgestapt op @ProtonMail"]},"specialoffer:time":{"Days":["Dagen"],"Hours":["Uur"],"Min":["Min"]},"specialoffer:title":{"And much more":["En nog veel meer"],"Make your inbox yours":["Personaliseer uw inbox"],"Safe from trackers":["Beschermd tegen trackers"],"Stay organized":["Houd overzicht"],"Black Friday email deals":["Black Friday-deals voor e-mail"],"Don’t just take our word for it":["U hoeft ons niet te geloven"],"Our story":["Ons verhaal"],"Transfer your data from Google in one click":["Zet uw gegevens van Google over met één klik"]},"specialoffer:tooltip":{"Access blocked content and browse privately. Includes ${ TOTAL_VPN_SERVERS }+ servers in ${ TOTAL_VPN_COUNTRIES }+ countries, connect up to 10 devices, access worldwide streaming services, malware and ad-blocker, and more.":["Bekijk geblokkeerde inhoud en surf privé. Met ${ TOTAL_VPN_SERVERS }+ servers in meer dan ${ TOTAL_VPN_COUNTRIES } landen, verbinding met maximaal 10 apparaten, wereldwijd toegang tot streamingdiensten, malware- en advertentieblokkering, en meer."],"Easily share your calendar with your family, friends or colleagues, and view external calendars.":["Deel uw agenda eenvoudig met uw familie, vrienden of collega's, en bekijk externe agenda's."],"Includes support for 1 custom email domain, 10 email addresses, 10 hide-my-email aliases, calendar sharing, and more.":["Ondersteuning voor 1 aangepast e-maildomein, 10 e-mailadressen, 10 hide-my-email-aliassen, gedeelde agenda's en meer."],"Includes support for 3 custom email domains, 15 email addresses, unlimited hide-my-email aliases, calendar sharing, and more.":["Ondersteuning voor 3 aangepaste e-maildomeinen, 15 e-mailadressen, onbeperkt hide-my-email-aliassen, gedeelde agenda's en meer."],"Manage up to 25 calendars, mobile apps, secured with end-to-end encryption, 1-click calendar import from Google, and more.":["Beheer tot 25 agenda's, mobiele apps, beveiligd met end-to-end versleuteling, agenda's van Google importeren met 1 klik, en meer."]},"Status banner":{"Learn more":["Meer informatie"],"Please note that at the moment we are experiencing issues with the ${ issues[0] } service.":["We ondervinden op dit moment problemen met de ${ issues[0] }service."],"We are experiencing issues with one or more services at the moment.":["We ondervinden momenteel problemen met een of meer services."]},"Status Banner":{"At the moment we are experiencing issues with the Proton VPN service":["Momenteel werkt de dienst van Proton VPN niet naar behoren"],"Learn more":["Meer informatie"]},"suggestions":{"Suggestions":["Suggesties"]},"Support":{"Sub category":["Subcategorie","Subcategorieën"]},"Support article":{"${ readingTime } min":["${ readingTime } min","${ readingTime } min"],"Category":["Categorie","Categorieën"],"Didn’t find what you were looking for?":["Niet gevonden wat u zocht?"],"General contact":["Algemene contactgegevens"],"Get help":["Krijg hulp"],"Legal contact":["Contactgegevens voor juridische zaken"],"Media contact":["Contactgegevens voor media"],"Partnerships contact":["Contactgegevens voor partnerschappen"],"Reading":["Lezen"]},"Support troubleshooting":{"App version":["App-versie"],"Browser":["Browser"],"Check if this helps":["Kijk of dit helpt"],"Choose a product":["Kies een product"],"Did this solve your issue?":["Heeft dit uw probleem opgelost?"],"Faster assistance is just a few clicks away":["Snellere hulp is met een paar klikken geregeld"],"How can we help?":["Hoe kunnen we helpen?"],"No, contact support":["Nee, contact opnemen met ondersteuning"],"Please fill out one field after another":["Vul de velden achter elkaar in"],"Please make your selections":["Maak een keuze"],"Proton account":["Proton-account"],"Proton for Business":["Proton for Business"],"Thank you for your feedback":["Bedankt voor uw feedback"],"What can we help with?":["Waar kunnen we mee helpen?"],"Yes":["Ja"]},"support_modal_search_query":{"Search query":["Zoekopdracht"]},"support_search_button":{"Search":["Zoeken"]},"support_search_i_am_looking_for":{"I'm looking for":["Ik ben op zoek naar"]},"SupportForm":{"For a faster resolution, please report the issue from the Bridge app: Help > Report a problem.":["Om problemen sneller op te lossen, meldt u het via de Bridge-app: Help > Een probleem melden."],"Information":["Informatie"]},"SupportForm:option":{"Account Security":["Accountbeveiliging"],"Contacts":["Contactpersonen"],"Custom email domain":["Aangepast e-maildomein"],"Email delivery and Spam":["E-maillevering en spam"],"Encryption":["Versleuteling"],"Login and password":["Inlognaam en wachtwoord"],"Merge aliases and accounts":["Aliassen en accounts samenvoegen"],"Migrate to Proton":["Migreren naar Proton"],"Notifications":["Meldingen"],"Other":["Overig"],"Plans and billing":["Abonnementen en facturering"],"Proton for Business":["Proton for Business"],"Sign up":["Inschrijven"],"Storage":["Opslag"],"Users, addresses, and identities":["Gebruikers, adressen en identiteiten"]},"SupportForm:optionIntro":{"Select a topic":["Kies een onderwerp"]},"swiss_baseed_feature":{"Swiss based":["Gevestigd in Zwitserland"]},"Testimonial":{"Awards":["Awards"],"Customers":["Klanten"],"Featured":["Featured"],"Go to testimonial source":["Naar bron van testimonial"],"Reviews":["Reviews"],"Videos":["Video's"]},"Text":{"If you need help, check out our ${ supportLink }.":["Bekijk onze ${ supportLink } als u hulp nodig hebt."],"The page you’re looking for might have been removed, or it could be an\nold link.":["De pagina waarnaar u op zoek bent, is mogelijk verwijderd, of u gebruikt een oude koppeling."]},"Title":{"On this page":["Op deze pagina"],"Related articles":["Gerelateerde artikelen"],"Share ${ thisPage }":["${ thisPage } delen"],"Thank you!":["Bedankt!"],"this page":["deze pagina"]},"Tooltip":{"More information":["Meer informatie"]},"tooltip_vpn":{"Access blocked content and browse privately. Includes ${ TOTAL_VPN_SERVERS }+ servers in ${ TOTAL_VPN_COUNTRIES }+ countries, highest VPN speed, ${ TOTAL_VPN_CONNECTIONS } VPN connections, worldwide streaming services, malware and ad-blocker, and more.":["Bekijk geblokkeerde inhoud en surf privé. Met meer dan ${ TOTAL_VPN_SERVERS } servers in meer dan ${ TOTAL_VPN_COUNTRIES } landen, de hoogste VPN-snelheid, ${ TOTAL_VPN_CONNECTIONS } VPN-verbindingen, wereldwijde streamingdiensten, malware- en advertentieblokkering, en meer."]},"wallet_signup_2024:Action":{"Get Proton Wallet":["Kies Proton Wallet"]},"wallet_signup_2024:Homepage hero product link title":{"Wallet":["Wallet"]},"wallet_signup_2024:Homepage product navigation bar":{"Wallet":["Wallet"]},"wallet_signup_2024:menu item":{"Bitcoin guide":["Bitcoin-gids"],"Proton Wallet news":["Proton Wallet-nieuws"],"Proton Wallet support":["Ondersteuning voor Proton Wallet"]},"wallet_signup_2024:Pricing":{"Includes everything in Proton Unlimited and":["Omvat alles van Proton Unlimited en"],"Limited availability":["Beperkte beschikbaarheid"],"The easiest way to securely own, send, and receive Bitcoin":["De eenvoudigste manier om Bitcoin veilig te bewaren, versturen en ontvangen"]},"wallet_signup_2024:ProductRange":{"Discover Proton Wallet":["Ontdek Proton Wallet"],"Store and transact Bitcoin privately with an encrypted self-custody wallet.":["Bewaar en verhandel Bitcoin privé met een versleutelde zelfbeheerde portemonnee."]},"wallet_signup_2024:wallet bitcoin":{"Learn about Bitcoin, the Internet's value network.":["Meer informatie over Bitcoin, het valutanetwerk van het internet."]},"wallet_signup_2024:wallet overview":{"Ensure you're always in control of your Bitcoin.":["Zorg dat u altijd de controle heeft over uw Bitcoins."]},"wallet_signup_2024:wallet security":{"The encrypted, open-source wallet that puts you in control.":["De versleutelde, open-source portemonnee waarvan u de baas bent."]}}},"base":"blog","cdn":{"enabledForAssets":true,"enabledForImages":false,"url":"https://pmecdn.protonweb.com/"},"unleashApi":"https://account.proton.me/api"};
window.frameworkContext = frameworkContext;
window.__toAssetUrl = (filename) => {
if (frameworkContext.cdn !== undefined && frameworkContext.cdn.enabledForAssets === true) {
return `${frameworkContext.cdn.url}${frameworkContext.base}/${filename}`;
} else {
return `/${frameworkContext.base}/${filename}`;
}
};
})();
What is data sovereignty and why does it matter for your business? | Proton
People and companies are generally subject to the laws of the country and city where they are located, and those laws can change when they move to a new place. However, the situation becomes more complicated when considering data, which can be subject to multiple jurisdictions depending on where it is collected, processed, and stored.
If you live in France, for example, and a US tech company stores your data in servers located in California, which laws are relevant to your most valuable information?
The answer to that question is becoming more important every day, as more and more people interact with products, apps, and programs from all over the globe. The central principle of data sovereignty is that data should be subject to the laws of the country where it was generated and collected.
As the ongoing saga over how Meta processes Europeans’ data(new window) demonstrates, however, this concept is being challenged. How data sovereignty is applied — or not — to your data will have a lasting impact on the internet as a whole.
This article will explain the concept, why it matters, and how it can be achieved so your business remains secure and compliant with the strictest of data sovereignty regulations.
Many people tend to think of data as an abstract concept, a nebulous collection of personal data points that exists in space that is ill-defined. In reality, however, there are concrete statements we can make about most data to better understand where it is being stored:
Your data comes with fairly exact metadata: This information can pinpoint when and where it was collected, which format it is encoded in, and an identifier linked to the person or device where it originated
Data is always stored somewhere in the physical world: This information occupies a well-defined physical space, measured in bytes on a computer or server.
A large portion of data comes from your devices: It may be no surprise that there are more mobile phones in the world than people(new window). That’s why data generation and collection tend to start on your device before it is sent to another location — such as the cloud or remote servers — to be processed and stored.
All that data is often generated in one country and stored in another, which raises an important question.
Which laws apply to my data?
This is where data sovereignty enters the picture. Data sovereignty is the concept that it doesn’t matter where the data is stored — the laws that should govern data are the laws of the country where the data was generated and collected.
This makes intuitive sense. These are the same laws that also govern, in most cases, the person who generated the data. Why would it be different for their data?
The immediate consequence of data sovereignty for a company that collects and stores people’s data, however, is that it must adopt data governance policies and technical measures to ensure the legal protections governing that data are respected and implemented.
Who opposes data sovereignty?
Some of the staunchest critics of data sovereignty are cloud storage providers. Their business model depends on selling cold storage, computing power, or whole backend infrastructures to companies.
Their physical servers are often located in countries outside their client’s jurisdiction — or they might reside in the same country as the client company while the cloud provider is headquartered in a different country.
If data sovereignty is enforced, these companies must meet new obligations, which can increase their overhead and complicate their workflows.
Why data sovereignty matters: The Meta case
Meta’s attempts to collect and process the data of people in the European Union and resulting lawsuits perfectly demonstrate the idea of data sovereignty.
In a nutshell: Meta transferred all the data it collects from EU countries to its servers in the US so that it could process it and use it to sell ads. Thanks to data sovereignty protections in the GDPR(new window), all data that is collected from people in the EU must be processed and stored within the EU.
The Court of Justice of the European Union agreed, and the litigation has shifted to finding an appropriate solution. None of this would be possible, however, if it weren’t for the principle of data sovereignty. If data collected in the EU no longer fell within the parameters of EU law, Schrems and NOYB would not have been able to make a strong case, much less win.
Best practices for your business
If you run a small business, having all your storage and computation needs fulfilled by an on-premise infrastructure — and therefore not relying on any contractor servers — is a possible way of achieving data sovereignty.
This is hardly cost-effective and efficient, however, for many businesses, especially smaller ones. Here are some alternative solutions and other best practices to consider:
Conduct a data audit: Regularly assess where and how your data is stored and processed. This is a vital step that companies often overlook. Understanding the flow of data inside your organization can help identify potential compliance issues and areas where there is room for improvement.
Use end-to-end encrypted email services: Ensure that all data communication methods and storage solutions use end-to-end encryption. This provides a robust layer of security, protecting data both at rest and in transit. Proton, for example, offers a comprehensive range of services that deploys both end-to-end encryption and zero-access encryption to allow you to remain compliant and secure. When you use Proton Mail, your messages are automatically end-to-end encrypted — you don’t need to do anything.
Use a privacy-first cloud provider: Choose cloud service providers that prioritize privacy and comply with data sovereignty laws. Proton Drive, for example, can support businesses in meeting those requirements. End-to-end encryption and the protections of Swiss privacy laws will ensure your data is secure and shielded from unauthorized access.
Proton’s approach
When you team up with Proton, you are protecting your business data so that no one, not even Proton, can access it. The keys to your most valuable information will remain in your possession at all times, ensuring your data meets the strictest data sovereignty regulations.
Proton started as a crowdfunded project led by scientists who met at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research). Our goal is to reshape the internet to put people and organizations in control of their data.
Switching to Proton Mail is simple with our Easy Switch feature, allowing you to seamlessly transition all your emails, contacts, and calendars from other services.
Proton Mail, our end-to-end encrypted email, and Proton Drive, our end-to-end encrypted cloud storage service, make it easy to meet data protection and privacy requirements.
In response to popular demand, our privacy-first AI writing assistant Proton
Scribe is now available for free on our Duo and Family plans, in nine different
languages.
Proton Drive provides private and secure file sharing, document editing, and
cloud storage for businesses of all sizes. Take control of your company's data.