Why Multi-Region Hosting is Essential for Cultural Institutions to Ensure Data Sovereignty

As cultural institutions expand their global digital footprint, maintaining control and governance over data within specific geographic regions—referred to as data sovereignty—has become increasingly crucial. For organizations tasked with preserving cultural heritage, managing data locally ensures compliance with regional laws and safeguards sensitive cultural narratives. This is especially important for Indigenous and marginalized communities, whose histories and artifacts require careful, ethical management. In this blog, we explore how data sovereignty is vital for cultural institutions and how STQRY's multi-region hosting empowers organizations to manage their data responsibly.

What is Data Sovereignty?

Data sovereignty refers to the principle that data is subject to the laws and governance of the country where it is collected and stored. For cultural institutions, this means retaining control over sensitive data such as digital archives, images, and historical records. As data flows across borders, ensuring it is stored within specific regions guarantees compliance with local regulations and empowers institutions to decide how their data is governed.

Mesh Flinders and Ian Smalley from IBM emphasize that “the importance of data sovereignty is closely related to the growing importance of cloud computing in the overall growth strategies of many organizations.”

As cloud computing adoption grows, institutions must navigate increasingly complex legal frameworks governing data privacy and security. By implementing data sovereignty practices, cultural organizations can ensure their sensitive data remains protected while adhering to both ethical and legal obligations.

Why Data Sovereignty Matters for Cultural Institutions

Cultural institutions are stewards of priceless historical artifacts, Indigenous knowledge, and culturally significant materials. The proper management of this data is essential to protecting these assets from external misuse or misrepresentation. Data sovereignty enables institutions to store their content within relevant legal frameworks, ensuring that culturally sensitive materials are governed according to the values and laws of their respective communities.

For Indigenous communities, data sovereignty is critical in reclaiming control over their cultural narratives. In the past, these communities often had little say in how their data was stored or shared, leading to misrepresentation. Ensuring data sovereignty allows these communities to play an active role in how their histories are preserved and represented. By embracing this responsibility, cultural institutions can foster stronger, more respectful relationships with the communities they serve.

Data sovereignty also enables institutions to meet legal and ethical obligations, ensuring compliance with regional regulations such as GDPR in the EU and PIPEDA in Canada. By storing data locally, institutions provide transparency and security while safeguarding the privacy of the individuals and communities connected to their collections.

As Trilce Navarrete & John Mackenzie Owen note in Cultural Heritage in a Changing World, museums shape and control their information spaces through various decisions—from selecting and classifying objects to designing gallery spaces. These choices influence the narratives institutions present, making it crucial for them to maintain sovereignty over their data.” By controlling how data is managed, institutions can ensure that the narratives they share reflect their values and cultural contexts accurately.

Challenges of Single-Region Hosting

When data is hosted in a single region, it can be subjected to the laws of that region, which may not align with the cultural institution's values or legal obligations. 

Moreover, single-region hosting may limit an institution's ability to serve international audiences as effectively. Data hosted in one region may lead to slower access times for users in other parts of the world, creating a barrier to engagement with digital collections. For institutions with a global reach, this could mean slower load times and restricted access reducing the overall user experience.

Empowering Cultural Institutions with Multi-Region Hosting & STQRY’s Commitment to Data Sovereignty

STQRY’s multi-region hosting solution is designed to empower cultural institutions with the tools they need to ensure data sovereignty while maintaining control over their digital assets. By enabling organizations to host data in regions such as Canada, Australia, and the EU, STQRY allows institutions to store their content closer to home while complying with local governance structures. This ensures that institutions retain control over their data, all while improving access and performance for their global audiences.

STQRY’s commitment to data sovereignty aligns with our broader mission of connecting people, places, and stories. By empowering cultural institutions to manage their data responsibly, we help them safeguard the world’s heritage and ensure these important narratives are respected and accessible. Our secure and flexible hosting options allow institutions to share their unique stories globally while honoring the legal and cultural contexts that guide their stewardship. For nearly two decades, we’ve taken care in how we manage personal and cultural data, and multi-region hosting is another step in our dedication to supporting cultural institutions.

Getting Started with STQRY’s Multi-Region Hosting

Getting started with STQRY’s multi-region hosting is easy:

1. Sign Up: When you sign up for an account, you can select the region where you want your data to be hosted from a simple drop-down menu.
2. Multiple Accounts: If you manage multiple accounts, you can choose different regions for each, giving you full control over data storage and compliance.

For more detailed instructions, refer to our help article or contact our support team.