Google has announced a new suite of tools for Google Workspace that it says will provide new "digital sovereignty" capabilities to public and private organizations across the EU.
Digital sovereignty refers to the idea that data is subject to the laws and government of the nation in which it is collected.
The update comes as the use of data from a cloud computing market largely dominated by US providers continues to attract regulatory scrutiny from EU lawmakers.
Google says the new tools, called Sovereign Controls for Google Workspace, will allow organizations to control, limit and monitor data transfers to and from the EU.
Google says its online collaboration software tools will build on its existing client-side encryption, data regions, and access control capabilities.
Google said Workspace's client-side encryption will help customers control their data through encryption keys they may have on-premises, within country borders or "any other borders."
Google claims that it never has access to the keys or the key holders, that the data is indecipherable to it, that it has no technical ability to access it, and that encryption also enables tools such as online co-creation.
Organizations can choose to provide client-side encryption to all of their users, or create rules that apply to specific users, organizational units, or shared drives based on Google.
Client-side encryption is now generally available for Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides, and Google says it plans to expand the feature to Gmail, Google Calendar, and Meet by the end of 2022.
Google also said the updates will improve its customers' ability to control where their data is stored while it's at rest, through greater coverage of data storage and processing in the region, which will come with a copy of the data in the country. .
Google also announced that it is set to add new access controls, which it says will allow customers to restrict and/or approve access to Google Support through App Approvals.
These access approval tools will limit customer support to EU-based support staff through access management and enable support from Google engineering staff with remote virtual desktop infrastructure.
In addition, Google said that users will be able to generate access to data and share log reports through its Access Transparency tool, which is now generally available.
When will we see the release?
The update is expected to roll out in late 2022, with additional features shipping throughout 2023.
Google Cloud will also continue to provide customers with legal mechanisms for the international transfer of data, including the availability of the protections offered by the new EU data transfer framework once it is implemented.
"We remain committed to equipping our customers in Europe and around the world with powerful technical solutions that help them adapt and stay on top of a rapidly changing regulatory landscape," a Google spokesperson said. "We designed and built Google Workspace to operate on a secure foundation, providing features to keep our users safe, their data protected, and their information private."
"Digital sovereignty is at the heart of our ongoing mission in Europe and beyond, and is a guiding principle that customers can trust today and in the future."