Starting next month, Twitterwill change its terms of service and data protection policy so that users located outside the United States will be covered by Irish law. Those within the United States will continue to be subject to the country's familiar data protection laws.
This change will affect Twitter's main service, as well as Periscope and Digits, says the social site, which claims based on statistics that 77% of its 288 million users are located outside the US.
The Irish Times reports that the Irish Data Protection Commission was informed of this change at the last minute and will soon begin discussions on the popular website's new plans.
Many US technology companies are already based in Ireland, with Microsoft even in dispute with American authorities, who want to gain access to user data located in datacenters in Ireland.
Europe in general is in the process of changing the laws on the protection of personal data of Internet users, wanting to bring European Union laws into force for all businesses operating within the Union, regardless of where the headquarters of these websites and companies are located.
Last month, Reuters reported that EU ministers had agreed to allow any data protection regulator to refer cases to a Council of 28 EU lawmakers. The decision sparked backlash from websites and companies, who apparently want cases to be resolved according to the laws of the country in which they arise.
