France picks local provider over Microsoft to host health data
What's the story
France has opted for Scaleway, a French cloud service provider, to host its Health Data Hub. The move comes as a replacement for Microsoft Azure and is part of the country's effort to safeguard sensitive health data from potential access by US authorities. The decision follows a 2024 law that mandates sensitive information be stored on servers with "sovereign" (local) guarantees.
Security standards
Commitment to data sovereignty
Scaleway was selected after passing over 350 stringent security criteria, making it a trusted choice for hosting the Health Data Hub. The company was also one of the four recipients of a major €180 million European Commission cloud tender. This selection process highlights France's commitment to maintaining control over its citizens' health data while adhering to stricter European privacy regulations.
Data protection
Microsoft's inability to guarantee data protection
Scaleway will be responsible for hosting and protecting health records of tens of millions of French citizens. The decision to choose Scaleway over Microsoft Azure comes after years of legal and political scrutiny over the latter's ability to protect sensitive data from US authorities. Microsoft's representatives had even admitted before a French Senate inquiry that they could not oppose a US injunction targeting French citizens' data, even if it was hosted in France.