It appears that media reporting on Endurance International Group acquiring Canadian web host Netfirms overlooked some key components of the deal that have many Netfirm clients pondering the future implications of the deal on social media sites.

Many Netfirm client are questioning the implications of being hosted on Endurance International existing cloud infrastructure (outside Canada).  Netfirm clients, having endured less than stellar service and up-time based on Netfirms Canadian connection, are expressing feelings of betrayal with the Netfirms acquisition.  Privacy, and the protections of the same under Canadian law, is very much contrasted by the lack of privacy afforded under American law with its far reaching Patriot Act. The issue of privacy continually surfaces as a sticking point in Border security discussions between government representatives. American counterparts in these negotiations, can not seem to comprehend Canada obsession with protection of its citizens privacy, and abiding by the laws in place to protect them.

Endurance International has stated that Netfirm Clients will be transitioned to the existing cloud infrastructure used by Endurance. While cloud hosting does have some advantages over location based hosting, many unanswered questions continue to be ignored by cloud advocates on security, the legal issues surrounding where the data is actually hosted, and which country legal system has precedent. Besides privacy, many countries have very opposing positions on the definition of areas such as defamation, and copyright.   

Many concerns are being raised over changes to Terms of Service (ToS) and Acceptable use policy (AuP).   Even finding Endurance International policies requires using a search engine as they are not openly linked on the main website. Endurance International AuP can be found here.

Endurance International ToS can be found here.

These Terms are effective April 1, 2011. For customers who created their accounts prior to March 2011, the previous Netfirms Terms of Service are in effect until April 1.  HostJury will provide more information on the specific changes in a separate post.  HostJury will also provide a partial list of web hosts using Canadian infrastructure.

Only in Canada some would say... pity!