European Cloud
Data Sovereignty
Linode data sovereignty UK
Achieve True Linode Data Sovereignty in the UK With a CLOUD Act-Free Platform
Are your UK data assets truly sovereign when stored with a US provider like Linode? The US CLOUD Act creates a direct conflict with GDPR, exposing your data to foreign jurisdiction regardless of server location. Discover a European object storage solution built to guarantee UK data sovereignty.
Key Takeaways
UK data stored with US-based providers like Linode is subject to the US CLOUD Act, creating a direct conflict with GDPR and undermining data sovereignty.
A true sovereign solution requires a European provider operating exclusively in EU data centres, ensuring data is governed solely by EU and UK law.
Impossible Cloud offers a CLOUD Act-free, S3-compatible object storage platform with no egress fees, providing UK businesses with compliance, predictable costs, and ransomware protection.
A strong majority of EU and UK decision-makers now demand European solutions for their critical data infrastructure. Yet, many businesses unknowingly expose sensitive information to foreign surveillance laws by using US-headquartered cloud providers. This creates a significant compliance risk under GDPR and undermines true data sovereignty in the UK. This article outlines a clear, enterprise-ready strategy for securing your data within a strictly European legal framework, ensuring it remains protected from CLOUD Act exposure while boosting performance and predictability.
Exposing the Sovereignty Risk of US Cloud Providers
Using US-based cloud services presents a direct challenge to achieving robust Linode data sovereignty UK compliance. The 2018 US CLOUD Act allows US authorities to compel access to data held by American companies, irrespective of where the data is stored globally. This means data in a London data centre is still subject to US warrants if the provider is American.
This extraterritorial reach creates a fundamental conflict with UK and EU privacy laws designed to protect citizens' data. For any UK business managing customer information, this legal contradiction introduces an unacceptable level of risk. True sovereignty requires that your data is governed exclusively by the laws of its location, a guarantee US providers cannot make. This legal reality is now a top selection criterion for over 60% of IT leaders.
Building a Resilient UK Data Strategy on a European Foundation
A sovereign-by-design platform eliminates these risks by operating exclusively within a European legal framework. Impossible Cloud offers GDPR-compliant object storage operated solely in certified European data centres, ensuring your data never leaves the jurisdiction. This provides the legal certainty required for UK GDPR compliance and peace of mind.
Our architecture is built to deliver country-level geofencing, keeping data in predefined regions under EU rules. This approach has helped over 500 European businesses achieve full sovereignty. Key architectural components include:
EU-Only Data Centers: All infrastructure is located within the EU, removing any exposure to the CLOUD Act.
Immutable Storage: Object Lock technology provides verifiable, immutable backups for ransomware protection and audit-ready retention.
Multi-Layer Encryption: We enforce end-to-end encryption, with keys managed under strict EU control.
Resilient by Design: Our architecture has zero single points of failure, guaranteeing data availability with a 99.999% uptime SLA.
This foundation ensures your data strategy is not just compliant, but also operationally resilient against modern threats.
Achieving Full S3 Compatibility Without Compromise
Migrating to a new platform should not require rewriting your applications or retraining your team. A key driver for switching providers is performance parity, which demands seamless integration. Impossible Cloud guarantees 100% S3 API compatibility, protecting your existing investment in tools, scripts, and workflows.
This goes beyond basic operations to include advanced capabilities essential for enterprise workloads. We support:
Versioning and Lifecycle Management: Automate data retention and deletion policies without manual intervention.
Event Notifications: Trigger downstream workflows and applications based on storage events.
Identity and Access Management (IAM): Implement granular, role-driven policies with MFA and RBAC.
Full SDK and CLI Support: Your existing automation and management tools will continue to work out-of-the-box.
This commitment to open standards ensures a risk-free migration and avoids the vendor lock-in common with other Linode storage alternatives.
Eliminating Unpredictable Costs with a Transparent Economic Model
Many cloud users feel locked into their providers due to complex and unpredictable pricing models. Hidden costs, such as egress fees and API call charges, can inflate bills by over 40% unexpectedly. Impossible Cloud addresses this pain point with a transparent economic model designed for predictability.
Our pricing is simple and contains absolutely no egress fees, no API call costs, and no minimum storage duration. This model provides predictable margins, a critical benefit for our MSP partners and enterprise clients. It allows you to use your data freely without financial penalties, supporting use cases like disaster recovery testing and data analytics. This clarity is a primary reason a significant share of businesses now prefer an EU provider for their data sovereignty needs.
Future-Proofing Compliance for the EU Data Act and NIS-2
Regulatory landscapes are constantly evolving, and your storage platform must be ready for what comes next. Our architecture is built in alignment with upcoming EU regulations, providing a distinct competitive advantage. We are prepared for two major directives impacting UK businesses.
The first is the EU Data Act, which from September 2025 will mandate data portability and interoperability. Our platform's use of open standards ensures you have a real exit path, preventing lock-in. The second is NIS-2, which requires continuous security processes and supply-chain assurance. These principles are already baked into our daily operations, not treated as an afterthought. This proactive stance on compliance simplifies governance for your team.
Empowering UK Channel Partners and MSPs
We are committed to enabling our UK partners with a platform that is not only sovereign but also profitable. The predictable-by-design cost model allows MSPs to build BaaS and archiving services with stable, defensible margins. Our partner-ready console simplifies management for hundreds of resellers across Europe.
Key features for our partners include:
Multi-Tenant Management: Securely manage multiple clients from a single console with robust RBAC and MFA.
Full Automation: Utilise the API and CLI for seamless integration into your existing provisioning and billing systems.
Detailed Reporting: Access comprehensive reports to monitor usage and ensure compliance for your clients.
Local Distribution: We are proud to partner with our first UK distributor, Northamber plc, expanding local access and support for UK resellers.
This focus ensures our partners can deliver high-value, compliant data sovereignty solutions to their customers.
Take the Next Step Towards True Data Sovereignty
More Links
Wikipedia provides a general overview of data sovereignty, including its definition, implications, and related concepts.
The European Commission details the Data Act, which aims to ensure fairness in the data economy and facilitate data access and use.
DLA Piper provides information on data protection laws in Germany, offered by the law firm.
The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) offers guidance for organizations on cloud computing, focusing on data protection and compliance.
The European Commission outlines the European strategy for data, aiming to create a single market for data that will enable its free flow across borders and sectors.
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action describes Gaia-X, a project aiming to develop a European data infrastructure for secure and sovereign data exchange.
The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) and European Data Protection Board (EDPB) present their joint response to the US Cloud Act, addressing data protection concerns.
The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) presents statistical data on the use of cloud computing by enterprises in Germany.
FAQ
What makes Impossible Cloud a sovereign solution for the UK?
Impossible Cloud is a European company operating exclusively in certified European data centres. All data is subject only to EU law, making it fully compliant with GDPR and immune to foreign laws like the US CLOUD Act. This sovereign-by-design approach guarantees your data's legal and physical location.
Will my existing S3 tools and applications work with your service?
Yes. We provide a fully S3-compatible API, ensuring your existing applications, scripts, SDKs, and command-line tools work without any modification. This allows for a seamless, risk-free migration and protects your prior technology investments.
How does your pricing model work?
Our pricing is transparent and predictable. We charge for storage used and do not have any hidden fees. This means zero egress fees, zero API request charges, and no minimum storage durations, allowing you to forecast costs accurately and use your data without penalty.
How do you protect my data against ransomware?
We offer Immutable Storage using S3 Object Lock technology. This feature allows you to make your backups unchangeable for a period you define, providing a critical defence against ransomware attacks that try to encrypt or delete your backup data.
Is your platform suitable for MSPs and resellers in the UK?
Absolutely. Our platform is partner-ready, featuring a multi-tenant console, full automation via API/CLI, and detailed reporting. With our predictable pricing model and local UK distribution through Northamber plc, we provide the tools and support for MSPs to build profitable, compliant services.
What do you mean by an 'Always-Hot' architecture?
An 'Always-Hot' model means all your data is immediately accessible at all times, with no delays or extra fees for retrieval. This simplifies operations by eliminating complex and fragile data tiering policies, ensuring fast, predictable performance for backups, restores, and analytics.
