▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁Since ▁then , ▁various ▁govern ments ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁around ▁the ▁world ▁have ▁expressed ▁the ▁desire ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁flow ▁of ▁residents ' ▁data ▁through ▁technology . ▁Some ▁govern ments ▁are ▁accused ▁of ▁and ▁some ▁open ly ▁admit ▁to ▁using ▁data ▁local ization ▁laws ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁surve il ▁their ▁own ▁popul aces ▁or ▁to ▁boost ▁local ▁economic ▁activity . ▁ ▁Technology ▁companies ▁and ▁mult in ational ▁organizations ▁often ▁opp ose ▁data ▁local ization ▁laws ▁because ▁they ▁impact ▁effic ien cies ▁gained ▁by ▁regional ▁aggreg ation ▁of ▁data ▁cent ers ▁and ▁un ification ▁of ▁services ▁across ▁national ▁boundaries . ▁Some ▁vend ors , ▁such ▁as ▁Microsoft , ▁have ▁used ▁data ▁storage ▁locale ▁controls ▁as ▁a ▁differenti ating ▁feature ▁in ▁their ▁cloud ▁services . ▁ ▁International ▁treat ies ▁and ▁laws ▁After ▁Germany ▁and ▁France ▁either ▁passed ▁or ▁nearly ▁passed ▁data ▁local ization ▁laws , ▁the ▁European ▁Union ▁was ▁considering ▁restrictions ▁on ▁data ▁local ization ▁laws ▁being ▁passed ▁by ▁member ▁states ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁Data ▁local ization ▁laws ▁are ▁often ▁seen ▁as ▁protection ist . ▁Cons istent ▁with ▁the ▁" F ort ress ▁Europe " ▁philosophy ▁where by ▁trade ▁bar riers ▁should ▁be ▁abol ished ▁within ▁the ▁EU ▁but ▁ere cted ▁between ▁the ▁EU ▁and ▁other ▁countries , ▁the ▁EU ▁bel ieves ▁that ▁data ▁local ization ▁should ▁be ▁left ▁to ▁the ▁EU ▁to ▁reg ulate ▁at ▁a ▁pan - E U ▁level , ▁and ▁member ▁states ' ▁domestic ▁data ▁local