Privacy is one of the top concerns for potential cloud customers. Both Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) and potential users struggle with different data protection legislation across the globe, where the inconsistencies between National legislations represent a significant barrier to a broad adoption of cloud computing.
Moreover, privacy compliance has become a fundamental evaluation criterion when choosing between Cloud Service Providers.
2012 has been a particularly important year of reforms on privacy, data protection, and cloud computing, with the publication of the European Commission proposal for a General Data Protection Regulation (amending the Directive 95/46/EC), the Article 29 Working Party http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/article-29/documentation/op… Opinion 5/2012 on Cloud Computing and several national Data Protection Authorities’ recommendations on cloud (e.g., CNIL’s recommendations for companies using these new services, Italian DPA Cloud Computing: il Vademecum del Garante, Irish DPC Data Protection in the Cloud.