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CMDS team member, Kristina Irion has authored an op-ed for the Internet Policy Review on cloud services made in Europe after Snowden and Schrems. She writes that "the geolocation of server farms - where data is stored and computing is performed – has evolved into an important attribute of cloud computing. By now, clients and providers are increasingly conscious of the actual whereabouts of cloud services. As a standalone fact this sounds counter-intuitive since cloud technology is location-independent and distance should not matter anymore.

As refugees began arriving  into Budapest in greater and greater numbers in early September, CMDS Director of the Civil Society and Technology Project Kate Coyer was struck by the large number of people searching for wifi and places to charge their smartphones. “I thought there must be something we could do that was fast, affordable and flexible,” Coyer explained. “As a researcher, I’m also interested in how we can operationalize this spontaneous, grassroots initiative to continue providing services during a rapidly changing situation and connect with others in the region to build a network of support.”