Why Location Matters for Your Personal Data

Where is your data? It’s a simple question, yet it’s maddeningly hard to answer in the era of cloud computing. Everything from family photos to bank transactions seem to be floating around in ether, yet they are inevitably stored somewhere. And even though you may not know it, that data is serviced and hosted by multiple subcontractors you’ve never heard of--it may not even be in the same country as you are. This data can be subject to a vast array of contractual agreements, as well as overlapping jurisdictions and regulations. And sometimes, it gets messy and confusing enough to end up in court. Likewise, the integration with cloud services that is common on most smartphones and tablets is outpacing the law, raising questions that have only fuzzy legal precedent.This session is intended to be a discussion about the topic with and amongst the audience, so I’ll give a presentation based on my reporting on the topic, then open up the subject to attendees for conversation and comments.