Why does Data Sovereignty matter for your backups?

It is important to not only back up your data, but also evaluate where and how it is stored. Data sovereignty is more than just a compliance requirement. Where your data (including backups) is stored can have far reaching consequences for security, accessibility and legislative requirements.

Data sovereignty is the concept that data is subject to the laws and regulations in the country in which it is collected or stored. One way to understand data sovereignty is to compare it to when  you travel internationally. If you visit America then you must obey US laws whilst you are there, but on return to the UK you must obey UK laws. If a business has data in many different countries then they must obey the data laws of each individual country for the data they have stored there.

One of the legislations that UK (and EU) businesses will be most familiar with is General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). GDPR ensures that personal data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently. It grants us as individuals rights over our data, including access, correction, deletion, and the right to object to processing, while imposing strict requirements on businesses handling personal data.

According to a report by the World Privacy Forum, 137 countries have data protection and privacy legislations in 2025, with over 100 countries specifically implementing laws around data sovereignty.

It is important that we consider data sovereignty in the context of data backup because the country in which our backup data is stored will determine which laws govern its access and protection. If backups are stored in a different country, they will be subject to that country’s regulations, potentially exposing the data to government access requests or legal conflicts.

In addition, many Software-as-a-service platforms including Microsoft 365 operate on a ‘shared model of responsibility’, with data sovereignty playing a crucial role in data protection. While the platform operator ensures application availability and tolerance for faults and redundancy, it is ultimately our responsibility to protect our users and their data from breaches and data loss. We should be making backups of our SAAS platform data and ensuring that this data is stored in line with legislation.

Focus on data sovereignty didn’t solely arise because of the cloud but it has brought it to the forefront of our focus because the cloud broke down many barriers to international data storage. Many businesses could be breaking their own data sovereignty and privacy obligations without even knowing it, as often as the customer of a cloud service you don’t know or control where your data is ultimately being stored or where replicated copies of your data are being pushed to. 

With data backups, when you need to access your backup data you generally need it as soon as possible. Delays in retrieving data from cloud-based storage locations overseas can lead to extended downtime and disruption for your business. Many cloud data backup providers do not publicise where in the world your data will be stored, but it is very important that we understand where our data is located. A cloud backup solution that stores data overseas may be slightly cheaper each month, but it can lead to complications in data compliance and speed of retrieval. In some regulated industries, delays in accessing repatriated data can result in non-compliance with legal obligations, especially when responding to audits or data subject requests.

When you are considering a cloud data backup solution it is important that the provider is transparent about where in the world they will be storing your data. You need to be able to trust that your data is where they say it is and stored securely. You also need to be able to trust the stability and longevity of the business as they will be storing your data which remains the responsibility of your business, even when stored at someone else’s facility. If a business suddenly stops operating for any reason you could lose or struggle to retrieve your data, especially if the company is overseas.

The country in which your backup data is stored has a significant impact on the legislative requirements you must meet as your data becomes subject to the country’s privacy laws, data access regulations and government oversight policies. Different countries have different laws on data protection, retention and access rights, which can present challenges if you are storing your backup data overseas.

                Examples of overseas legislation include:

·         UK & EU GDPR- Strict controls on personal data processing and restricts data transfers to non-compliant jurisdictions.

·         The US Cloud Act: Allows U.S. authorities to access data stored by American service providers, even if the data is held abroad.

·         China’s Data Security Law (DSL) and Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL): Imposes strict controls on data leaving China.

Failing to comply with a country’s legislation can result in legal penalties, reputational damage, and operational risks, making data sovereignty and compliance a key consideration in backup storage decisions.

In the event of political instability or sudden legal changes, data stored overseas may be at risk. Storing backups within a legally compliant jurisdiction reduces the risk of external control over your data.

In some countries your data could be at greater risk of data breaches due to less stringent security standards and varying data protection laws. Data stored in another country could also be subject to government access requests under local laws, potentially exposing sensitive information. The complexity of managing compliance across multiple legal frameworks also increases the risk of mishandling data, leading to security gaps.

1. If opting for cloud backups, choose your cloud provider wisely.

When deciding on a cloud provider, be sure to choose one that is transparent about where they store data, and ideally lets you select a location based on your business’ requirements. Many data backup and recovery tools do not offer you control over where the service and data are hosted. This is something that CloudConnX can offer with our Best Backup Recall solution- offering a wide choice of backup locations including UK mainland and on premise.

2. Encrypt your backups

Ensure that you always encrypt your backups, but especially if data is crossing geographical borders. This helps to protect your data from unauthorised access.

3. Understand legal implications

If your business operates internationally, consult legal experts to navigate complex data sovereignty issues.

Whether your business is based in a country with data sovereignty legislation or does business in a country with data sovereignty laws, ensuring that all your data, including your backups, complies with the necessary legislation is your responsibility.

Does your current backup strategy consider data sovereignty? Now is the perfect time to reassess and take control of your data. Here at CloudConnX we offer data backup with a choice of backup locations including UK mainland and on premise.

If your data is currently stored overseas and you are looking to repatriate it, you may find our blog post on data repatriation helpful. You can read it here.

If you would like to discuss your data backup strategy with a member of the team, please call 0330 122 0550 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.- we would be happy to help!