The Data Act – Important New Obligations For All Cloud And Edge Services

Introduction

The Data Act entered into force on 11 January 2024 and complements the Data Governance Act. Until now, discussions focused on the right to access data generated by connected products. However, a big part of the Data Act directly addresses so-called providers of data processing services ("DPS") such as cloud and edge services. In the near future, customers will have a right to easily switch between different services and to terminate their contracts. Main obligations for providers refer to a variety of new mandatory contractual terms, information obligations, exit and transition support as well as harmonized interoperability standards.

Who is the addressee?

The Data Act stipulates far-reaching requirements for DPS providers – covering in particular cloud service providers, such as