The content of cloud service providers' privacy policies

What is it about?

Cloud computing is increasingly popular across all industries and sectors. It offers unparalleled scalability, elasticity, and flexibility for users. However, this rapid transition toward cloud computing, has raised privacy and confidentiality concerns. Cloud service providers have access to users' data, and private information may be accidentally or deliberately disclosed or used for unauthorized purposes. Little is known about how cloud computing providers handle clients' private information. This study performs a content analysis of cloud computing service providers' privacy policies to identify what information is collected and why, to whom the information is disclosed, and what measures are in place for data security, data retention, and data complaints. Additionally, we investigate the readability, uncertainty language, and linguistic tone of cloud service privacy policies. Our results offer implications for cloud service users, providers and policymakers, and provide directions for future research.

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