Which country laws apply to user data? HQ location or Cloud data center location
<p>Anyone here know which country laws apply to user data when a startup based in a different country (ex: UK), than where user data resides (ex: Switzerland) ?</p>

<p>Switzerland have better privacy (not perfect) than other countries, So I am deciding to store user data in Switzerland data center, so user data is protected by Swiss laws.</p>

<p>But I am not sure which country laws apply to user data?</p>

<p>Someone please help. Thanks in advance!</p>

<h2>The country where you are, where the user is and where the data is</h2>

<p>So if you are in the UK, your data is in Switzerland and your user is in China and is an Australian/Thai dual national then potentially the laws of the UK (noting that this is 3 separate jurisdictions), Switzerland (each canton being a separate jurisdiction), China (which I <em>think</em> is only a single jurisdiction), Australia (8 possible jurisdictions) and Thailand (single jurisdiction I think) all potentially apply.</p>

<p>Of course, your second user may introduce more jurisdictions.</p>

<p>It is certain that all these jurisdictions will impose different, even incompatible, requirements.</p>

<p>If this is hard, the governments of those jurisdictions don’t care.</p>

<p>You need a lawyer.</p>

data-protection