Microsoft May Let Europeans Store Data Closer to Home

Microsoft may soon be one of the first cloud-computing companies in the United States to let Europeans store their online data closer to home, addressing persistent privacy concerns in Europe after revelations about online surveillance by the United States government.

Microsoft will offer European customers the option of storing their cloud data in Germany in two data centers shepherded by Deutsche Telekom AG, Germany’s largest telecommunications group. Microsoft will be granted access to this data only if it is given permission by the customer or Deutsche Telekom’s T-Systems subsidiary, which will control access to the data.