An updated Global Trends benchmark update shows there is diversity, among 14 jurisdictions around the world, in the policies and regulatory frameworks applicable to data centres and/or cloud service providers. Approaches tend to reflect different perceptions, at domestic level, of the opportunities and threats bound to the “cloudification” of all sectors of the economy along with increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).

What the content covers

The benchmark analyses licensing and ownership rules, cloud-related competition policy, cybersecurity and certification requirements, government cloud policies, sovereign cloud initiatives and financial support for data centres and cloud service providers.

The benchmark covers Australia, Brazil, China, the EU, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, the UK and the US.

Key findings

• Excluding planning or environmental permits, only China and Thailand require data centres and/or cloud service providers to obtain one or more national licences to offer their services.
• China and Thailand are also the only covered jurisdictions with quantitative thresholds on maximum foreign ownership for data centres, while most other jurisdictions rely on discretionary foreign investment review processes.
• Regulation of data centres and cloud services is increasingly linked to broader policy priorities, including digital competition, cybersecurity, sovereign cloud, AI infrastructure, sustainability and environmental impact.

Scope

Region: Global
Countries covered: 14 jurisdictions — Australia, Brazil, China, the EU, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, the UK and the US
Policy area: Data centres, cloud services and digital infrastructure
Published: 30 July 2026

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