Question 1

Is AWS GDPR compliant for European organisations?

Accepted Answer

AWS offers GDPR compliance mechanisms such as Data Processing Agreements and Standard Contractual Clauses. However, GDPR compliance does not resolve sovereignty concerns. AWS received a Sovereignty Score of 35/100 (high risk), indicating that jurisdiction and data access risks remain even with GDPR safeguards in place.

Question 2

What is the sovereignty risk of using AWS?

Accepted Answer

AWS carries high sovereignty risk with a score of 35/100. AWS is subject to US jurisdiction and CLOUD Act obligations; EU region deployment addresses data residency but does not eliminate extraterritorial access risk. Affected regulations include GDPR, CLOUD Act, NIS2, DORA.

Question 3

Can AWS data be accessed by US authorities?

Accepted Answer

Yes. As a US-incorporated company, AWS is subject to the CLOUD Act and other US surveillance legislation. This means US authorities can compel AWS to disclose data — including data stored in EU data centres — without notifying the data subject or the European organisation. This applies regardless of contractual protections or EU data residency.

Question 4

What are European alternatives to AWS?

Accepted Answer

Several EU-headquartered or EU-sovereign alternatives exist that are not subject to US jurisdiction. These alternatives typically offer EU-only data residency, local incorporation, and alignment with European regulatory frameworks. See the full audit for specific alternative recommendations and sovereignty score comparisons.

Question 5

Should EU organisations stop using AWS?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. The decision depends on data sensitivity, regulatory requirements, and risk tolerance. Organisations handling highly sensitive, regulated, or classified data should consider EU-sovereign alternatives. For less sensitive workloads, AWS may be acceptable with appropriate contractual and technical safeguards. A tiered approach — using sovereign tools for critical systems and AWS for lower-risk workloads — is a common pragmatic strategy.

AWS Sovereignty Report

Sovereignty Verdict

Frequently Asked Questions: AWS Sovereignty

Related Sovereignty Resources

Sovereignty Foundations

Decision Frameworks

Migration Blueprints

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