Sovereignty Scan/Vendors/Microsoft 365

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Microsoft 365 : Datenschutz, & EU Alternatives

Microsoft 365 is subject to US law (CLOUD Act / FISA 702). GDPR-compliant use is only possible with a valid DPA, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and a Transfer Impact Assessment (TIA). For sensitive data, an EU alternative is the more robust choice.

🇺🇸USAUS-JurisdiktionDPF certified

Last checked: 29 April 2026

Is Microsoft 365 GDPR compliant?

Vendor Profile

Who is the contractual partner?

Jurisdiction

USA

Hosting

Azure (Global)

Owner

Microsoft Corp.🇺🇸

Sovereignty Level: Level 0 of 4

US-Anbieter, US-Server. Voller CLOUD-Act-Zugriff. Bei jedem Schrems-Urteil fällt das Tool um.

Level0
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4

The five levels, from US-SaaS (Level 0) to fully sovereign (Level 4), we explain in detail here.

Contract & Subprocessor Chain

1.Microsoft Corp. (US)

Even if the main provider is based in the EU, a US subprocessor in this chain can trigger a third-country transfer. This is the core pitfall of .

Data Categories

What data does Microsoft 365 process?

In typical use, the following data categories arise. Which ones are relevant for you depends on your setup and scope of use.

Business email correspondence
Calendar entries and meeting content
Drive/file storage content (if enabled)
Directory of all employees

Data Subjects

Who is affected by the processing?

Under Art. 30 GDPR, you must document the categories of data subjects per processing activity. In typical use, these include:

All employees of your company
External communication partners (customers, suppliers)

Concrete Impact

What does this mean in practice?

Your entire business communications (email, calendar, files) are stored with a US corporation. Even the EU data location of M365 / Workspace does not change the CLOUD Act applicability.

Note: This is a risk description, not a specific incident. Whether access occurred in your case depends on many factors. What can be documented: the risk must be named in your TIA and mitigated with additional measures.

meetergo Recommendation

Neutrale EU-Alternative für Office-Suite

meetergo ersetzt kein Microsoft 365. EU-Alternativen für Mail und Collaboration: Open-Xchange, mailbox.org, Tutanota; für Dokumente und Tabellen Nextcloud Office (Collabora/OnlyOffice) auf Hetzner-Infrastruktur.

Note: Provider is listed in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. Transfer is covered under GDPR, but the CLOUD Act remains in effect.

EU-Alternativen prüfen Check your own domain

GDPR-compliant providers

EU alternatives to Microsoft 365

Providers based in the EU or EEA. No third-country transfer, simpler DPA situation, TIA generally not required.

Open-Xchange

🇩🇪

Deutsche Office-Suite und Mail-Lösung.

Switch in ~30 days

Mailbox.org

🇩🇪

DSGVO-konforme E-Mail aus Berlin.

Switch in ~21 days

Tutanota

🇩🇪

Verschlüsselte E-Mail aus Hannover.

Switch in ~30 days

1&1 Mail

🇩🇪

German email service from IONOS.

Apsis

🇸🇪

Swedish marketing and customer journey automation.

Migration Plan

How to migrate away from Microsoft 365

The following steps are the typical path for this tool category. Order and time required depend on your specific setup.

1
Plan MX cutover with reduced TTL
2
IMAP migration of existing mailboxes
3
Run calendar and drive in parallel
4
Gradual employee migration (pilot → departments → all)

We help with migration planning at no cost: 30 minutes with a data protection specialist to prioritise and define a migration sprint. Book appointment

Frequently Asked Questions

Microsoft 365 & Privacy: FAQ

Is Microsoft 365 GDPR-compliant?

Microsoft 365 can be used in a GDPR-compliant way if a valid DPA is in place, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are signed, and a Transfer Impact Assessment (TIA) has been conducted. However, the provider is headquartered in the US (Microsoft Corp.), so the CLOUD Act and FISA 702 continue to apply. This is true even when data is stored in an EU data centre. For sensitive data or strict oversight (public authorities, healthcare, large corporates), switching to an EU provider is often preferred.

Who is the contractual partner for Microsoft 365?

The contract chain includes: Microsoft Corp. (US). The legal parent entity is decisive for data protection. Even if an EU subsidiary signs the DPA, a US subprocessor in the chain can trigger third-country transfer obligations.

What EU alternatives are there to Microsoft 365?

There are several GDPR-compliant EU alternatives. They are listed under "EU Alternatives" on this page. The selection is tailored to the feature set of Microsoft 365 (Office-Suite / E-Mail). meetergo covers the core workflow and can fully replace Microsoft 365 in many cases.

Where is Microsoft 365 data stored?

According to provider information: Azure (Global). Note: even an EU data centre does not protect against the CLOUD Act when the parent company is in the US. This is the core finding of the Schrems II decision.

What does the CLOUD Act mean for Microsoft 365 users?

The US CLOUD Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act, 2018) allows US authorities to request data from US companies regardless of the physical storage location. If Microsoft Corp. is subject to the CLOUD Act, US law enforcement could theoretically access Microsoft 365 data stored in Frankfurt without involving EU authorities. The EDPB Recommendations 01/2020 therefore require additional safeguards or a switch to an EU provider.

Do I need a TIA for Microsoft 365?

Yes, in most cases. Since Schrems II (July 2020), a Transfer Impact Assessment is mandatory for US providers when personal data is transferred. The TIA documents US law, practical risks (NSA access, subpoenas) and additional measures (encryption, pseudonymisation). Only a valid TIA makes the use of Microsoft 365 legally defensible.

How much effort is involved in switching away from Microsoft 365?

Migration effort depends on your specific setup: typically between a few business days (booking, forms) and several weeks (CRM, hosting). The roadmap below shows the typical order.

Related Vendors

More tools in Communications

Next Step

Which tools are running on your website?

60 seconds, no login: the Sovereignty Scan shows all detected vendors with jurisdiction, risk, and matching EU alternatives.

To the Scan Methodology

Note

Hinweis

Risiko-Indikator, keine Rechtsberatung.

Der Sovereignty Scan wertet öffentlich erreichbare Signale aus (HTML der Startseite und Rechtsseiten, DNS-, MX-, SPF- und ASN-Daten) und vergleicht sie mit unserer Datenbank von ca. 3.000 Anbietern. Die Zuordnung von Tool zu Eigentümer und Jurisdiktion basiert auf öffentlichen Quellen (Impressum, Datenschutzerklärung, Wappalyzer, RIPE/ARIN-Registrierungen) und ist als Erstindikation zum Stichtag der Auswertung gedacht, nicht als rechtsverbindliche Bewertung.

Die Note A–E ist ein Risiko-Indikator, kein DSGVO-Konformitätsurteil. Für eine konkrete DSGVO-Bewertung, insbesondere für Auftragsverarbeitungsverträge (AVV/DPA), Standardvertragsklauseln (SCC) und Transfer Impact Assessments (TIA), wenden Sie sich bitte an Ihren Datenschutzbeauftragten oder eine externe Rechtsberatung. meetergo trifft keine Aussage darüber, ob ein konkreter Anbieter in einem konkreten Anwendungsfall DSGVO-konform eingesetzt werden kann.

Korrektur & Stellungnahme: Wenn Sie Domain-Inhaber, Datenschutzbeauftragter oder Pressestelle der bewerteten Domain sind und die hier gezeigten Signale nicht Ihrer aktuellen Tool-Konfiguration entsprechen, nehmen wir Korrekturen auf und passen die Anzeige nach Prüfung umgehend an.

Methodik & Grenzen Listing korrigieren / Stellungnahme einreichen