DeepL: German translation service now relies on AWS
DeepL's new terms of service allow data storage with US provider AWS. Those who reject the tech group's servers must cancel.
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From May 20, the Cologne-based translation service DeepL will no longer process customer data exclusively on its servers in Germany and Iceland. The company will supplement its infrastructure with the cloud services of US provider Amazon Web Services (AWS). The change allows the company to process data on an international scale, improving its “reliability, scalability, and technical infrastructure.” DeepL has already informed its customers of the move via email.
The new terms of service are considered accepted if customers do not actively object. Users who object to the integration of AWS can only continue to use their subscription until the end of their current billing period, but no later than December 31, 2026. In this case, the data of objecting users are to be kept on their infrastructure until the end of the contract. For new contracts and renewals, DeepL has already been applying these updated infrastructure conditions since the beginning of the year.
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By default, DeepL will process user content worldwide in various AWS regions, including the EU, the USA, and Japan. Only customers with special sales contracts, such as enterprise subscribers, will have the option to select a fixed region for data processing.
Technical reality offers no alternatives
The move to Amazon's cloud highlights the structural problem, particularly for European tech companies, which rely on the infrastructure of large US providers for global growth. The encrypted messenger Signal, which is concerned about data protection, also uses Amazon's computing capacities. The head of the service defended its use last October, stating that there was simply no alternative to AWS and other hyperscalers for the infrastructural requirements of such platforms.
Since Amazon is a US company, the US CLOUD Act applies to the data processed there. US cloud services are criticized by data protectionists because the law allows US authorities to access stored information even if the servers are located in Europe.
In addition, a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on the admissibility of the legal basis for data transfer to the USA, the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, is currently pending. In 2015 and 2020, the court already annulled the predecessor agreements Safe Harbor and Privacy Shield.
(dahe)
