International law enforcement within the cloud

Monday, January 23, 2012

Cloud computing provides many solutions to different companies around the world, and unfortunately, also provides new challenges in the world of cyber crime. Especially with the recent privacy struggles between the United States and the European Union, people are beginning to wonder how international jurisdiction works within the cloud.

Since there are no geographic boundaries in cloud services, and international laws are so different, it is difficult to determine which laws to apply when dealing with purported cloud crimes. For example, recently, Megaupload.com, a cloud file-sharing company, was seized in a joint venture by United States and New Zealand authorities. Though the company is based in Hong Kong, the United States got involved because Megaupload had stored information on servers in Virginia, making U.S. copyright law applicable.

"Law enforcement in the U.S, the EU, and around the world have worked out a system through treaties, memorandum of understanding and through their own domestic laws to ensure that we can share information … while protecting privacy," said U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bruce Swartz.

Though there is a lot of debate over the illegality of Megaupload, it is clear that countries are working together to prosecute possible criminal activity on the global cloud.