When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman tells TechCrunch that “the AI industry hasn’t yet figured out how to protect user privacy for more sensitive conversations”, he’s only half right. For Silicon Valley, the problem remains unsolved – thanks to US laws like the Cloud Act, even data stored in Europe can be subpoenaed and handed over at a moment’s notice. The problem exists only because of legal and jurisdictional choice, not technology.
Here in Europe, we already solved the core issue. At North Atlantic, we’ve built our AI solutions on Finnish legal foundations and Dutch hardware. No US ties, no Cloud Act or FISA 702 exposure. No gag orders.
The result? True legal confidentiality, not just for the EU as a whole, but tailored to the highest national standards inside Europe itself.
The Cloud Act Trap: Why EU Hosting Isn’t Enough
The common myth is that EU data residency equals EU privacy. In reality, if your provider is US-based – or even a subsidiary of a US firm – your data is still subject to US subpoenas, and can be demanded even without by FISA 702. The only way to truly escape the US jurisdiction is to run everything through an independent European company, on European-owned hardware, under local control.
Jurisdiction Over Geography: The Northern Approach
North Atlantic’s approach starts with jurisdiction, not just data-centre location. We’re a Finnish company, operating on Dutch hardware, entirely within the EU legal perimeter. There are no US back doors and no overseas APIs, no hidden third parties involved. Our clients run their own LLMs, which gives them the possibility to customise it to the core. Imagine being able to write your own system-level prompts, and even continued pretraining or fine-tuning is possible.
Not All EU Countries Are Created Equal
A common misconception is that hosting data anywhere in the EU provides equal protection. In reality, German and French intelligence laws grant authorities sweeping access to data stored on their territory – even without the kind of judicial oversight most expect. That’s why at North Atlantic, we built our stack as a Finnish company with Dutch hardware:
No US Cloud Act reach (we’re not US-owned, nor use US clouds)
No German or French “hallpass” for intelligence access
GDPR-compliant, with user consent and strictest local privacy norms
Example:
A foreign government agency wants the strictest privacy and to do business in the EU.
That means their AI must be fully compliant with the EU AI Act – and their data must be protected from US, German, or French surveillance.
Only a provider like North Atlantic (Finnish legal entity, Dutch hardware, full EU compliance) delivers both:
World-class privacy (no foreign intelligence access)
Seamless AI Act compliance
“EU hosting” alone isn’t enough. It’s about who runs the show – and where the law draws the line.
Final Thought: Privacy Is a Choice
When OpenAI and US cloud providers talk about privacy, they ignore not just the Cloud Act and FISA 702, but also the reality that some EU countries (like Germany and France) have their own intelligence hallpasses.
It’s not enough to be in the EU. You need to choose your data jurisdiction carefully – because not all EU member states are equally private.
With North Atlantic, you don’t just get EU compliance – you get true privacy, regardless of your location or industry. North Atlantic is your gold standard for legal privacy, not just another EU vendor.
Victor A. Lausas
Chief Executive Officer
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