Where are the Dropbox servers where our data is stored?

[kdaniels]

We are have a compliance matter and our client urgently needs know if the data in our Dropbox account is stored in the USA, Germany, Vietnam, Australia, Japan? Once a file has been deleted, can we confirm it has been deleted from all offshore storage as well as Australian storage?

[Walter · Accepted solution]

Hi @kdaniels; welcome to our Community!

Quoting from the relevant Help Center article, our storage servers are located in data centers across the United States. Additionally, storage servers are available in Germany, Australia, and Japan for some Dropbox Business users.

You can contact our sales teams for more information.

When it comes to deleted files, we use a secure deletion process to delete data from our servers. Additionally, when a Dropbox storage disk has reached the end of its useful life or is damaged, we follow a decommissioning process that is designed to physically destroy the disk to the point data cannot be recovered. Our third-party service providers also follow secure protection processes for media they control.

I hope this helps clarify matters to you and I'm always a post away for any follow up questions you may have. 

[Roger S.16]

As you will have been able to read from many sources, the EU Court has canceled the 'Privacy shield', as a result of which stops the data transfer in the USA. ... The judges invalidated the agreement, known as the "Privacy Shield", claiming that it does not provide European citizens with sufficient guarantees against US laws on privacy surveillance and security.
We would like some reassurance on this front: where does Dropbox store our data? In the USA or in Europe?

[Casper777]

Hi Roger

A quick Google search showed this: https://help.dropbox.com/accounts-billing/security/physical-location-data-storage. And https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-accounts-billing/Where-are-the-Dropbox-servers-where-our-dat.... Seems that data is stored in the USA with some data stored in other locations for Dropbox Business customers. 

Regards

Casper

[Egel]

Hello Walter,

The Help article states "Additionally, storage servers are available in Germany, Australia, and Japan for some Dropbox Business users."

One of our clients is asking us how to deal with the invalidating of the EU US Privacy Shield Framework on July 16, 2020 by the Court of Justice of the European Union. 

Is it possible for a Dropbox Business admin to force and validate the location of the data stored on Dropbox?

Thank you in advance,

Edwin

[Walter]

Hi @Egel; welcome aboard and thanks for joining our discussion here.

While it would be preferable to have your client reach out to our support team for more information on this, allow me to provide you with some additional information. 

As you probably know, Dropbox has always been committed to upholding the security and privacy of customer data, and strives to uphold industry leading privacy practices. We appreciate the hard work of the US and European negotiators on the new "Privacy Shield" agreement while we also respect the work of Europe's data protection authorities and trust that their concerns can be successfully resolved.

We look forward to further guidance from the European Commission and, ultimately, to the establishment of a new framework. In the meantime we have alternative legal mechanisms in place, including Data Processing Agreements with Model Contract Clauses, that enable customers to continue to use our cloud services. Regardless of the regulatory situation, we are in the process of deploying infrastructure in Germany in Q3, which will give business customers more choice about where their data is stored.

Just note that, for now, the ability to store files on our European infrastructure is available only to European Dropbox Business, Enterprise, and Education customers with 15+ seats (licenses). 

I hope this information helps to some extent, Edwin, and please let me know if you have any more questions. 

[Epett77]

Does my location determine what server my files are stored on. Example, if I live in Virginia are they stored in the data center in Virginia or do they go someplace else?

[Daphne]

Thanks for joining us here @Epett77!

I've just moved your post here, so please check out the info provided here when you have the chance.

Let me know if you have any questions!