SocietyAI glossary
Cloud Act
A 2018 US law that allows American authorities to require a company under their jurisdiction to hand over data it holds or controls, wherever that data is stored. A server located in Europe but run by a subsidiary of a US group is therefore covered: what matters is who controls the data, not where the disks are.
In other words
A safe rented in a bank whose parent company is in New York: it is the head office, not the address of the safe, that decides who can demand it be opened.
Alyriaz articles that mention it
- Mistral unveils Large 4, its 1-trillion-parameter giant
Mistral unveils Large 4, a 1-trillion-parameter model trained in Europe, soon to be openly available. A genuine leap, and a gap that remains.
- An 'AI Force' and an AI tsar: what the White House is announcing
The US president has announced the appointment of an AI tsar and the creation of an "AI Force" modelled on the Space Force to oversee the industry. We analyse what this institutional choice reveals.
- India bets 13.5 billion on its semiconductors
India has announced a second phase of its semiconductor programme, worth $13.5 billion over twelve years, with commitments from foreign equipment makers. We analyse this strategy.
- The week the industry started being held to account
Week in review, 14-20 September 2026: self-improvement figures, independent evaluators, public debate on pace, and energy regulation.
- What is the Cloud Act, and why hosting in Europe is not enough
The Cloud Act allows US authorities to demand data held by a company under their jurisdiction, wherever it is stored. We explain how the mechanism works and what to check.
- A company moves to Germany to reassure its clients
An AI platform is moving its US parent company to Germany to address its customers' concerns about the Cloud Act. We analyse what this move reveals.