In a post for ZDNet, journalist Zack Whittaker discusses the effect the USA PATRIOT Act has on Europeans who work in or use the cloud. "There is no privacy in the European cloud," Whittaker states, "or any public cloud outside of the United States where a U.S.-based or wholly owned subsidiary company is involved." He notes that many EU universities use cloud-based e-mail or storage, adding, "I could not find a single official or representative (in the UK) who can guarantee that student data will not leave the EEA under any circumstances." As prevention, he recommends that Europeans look for cloud service providers wholly owned by EU-based companies. 
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