Mark Scott

Online privacy is heating up as a selling point, at least in Europe. Microsoft’s top lawyer said the company’s cloud computing services had met Europe’s stringent data protection rules -- the only company so far to receive such approval -- and he used the news as a way to woo potential new customers.

“For customers who care about privacy and compliance, there is no more committed partner than Microsoft,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, said.

Privacy has become an increasingly important concern for American tech companies following the revelations by Edward Snowden, which tied some of these companies to the National Security Agency’s vast surveillance program. In response, some companies and governments have starting to look elsewhere for computer services with a greater degree of privacy.

International rivals, from Europe to South America, have gained some customers who are shunning American providers. Many of the major American companies have started to face some damage to their bottom lines because of the revelations.