The consultation also addresses the issue of the security of the information stored in cloud services, and of who has responsibility for protecting data. Cloud computing refers to the use of computers and software on an internet-based network to do information processing rather than the use of local computing resources. It allows internet users to access or store information without owning the software to do it and many online companies, such as Google, operate huge servers that store the data and deliver it to users.

The commission appears to be considering measures to help standardise terms and conditions for using cloud services. The consultation asks if it would be “useful” to estabish “model Service Level Agreements or End User Agreements” within contractual agreements for cloud services, the consultation says. The consultation asks if the rights and responsibilities for data protection in existing cloud services are clear.