Canada based Linodes

We've got a lot of great datacenters in Montreal that Linode could use, including the new Root Datacenter that's been garnering a lot of attention, we have crazy cheap electricity (there's a reason OVH is building the world's largest datacenter here), and we're just a stones throw away from Galloway (a 7.5 hour drive) :)

I've heard from a lot of people looking for servers that they don't want to host in the US because letting domestic data enter the US is too dangerous, so this could be a way to capture some business from Canadians who don't want to deal with the risks involved with US hosting.

@Guspaz:

I've heard from a lot of people looking for servers that they don't want to host in the US because letting domestic data enter the US is too dangerous, so this could be a way to capture some business from Canadians who don't want to deal with the risks involved with US hosting.

All Linodes, even those which are not on US soil, are owned and operated by a US company (Linode) and are thus subject to US law.

• Les

@akerl:

@Guspaz:

I've heard from a lot of people looking for servers that they don't want to host in the US because letting domestic data enter the US is too dangerous, so this could be a way to capture some business from Canadians who don't want to deal with the risks involved with US hosting.

All Linodes, even those which are not on US soil, are owned and operated by a US company (Linode) and are thus subject to US law.

• Les

Of course that is true but the jury is out on one aspect of this which is Microsoft - supported by some others - is actively objecting to share information that is on Irish servers.

~~[http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/09/judge-mulls-contempt-charges-in-microsofts-e-mail-privacy-fight-with-us/" target="_blank">](http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014 … t-with-us/">http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/09/judge-mulls-contempt-charges-in-microsofts-e-mail-privacy-fight-with-us/](

Of course the company in Canada would also have to abide by Canadian law :)

Indeed, the outcome of the Microsoft case could change things, but hopefully that will be resolved favourably.

Look at the opportunity…

http://business.financialpost.com/2014/ … in-canada/">http://business.financialpost.com/2014/09/23/data-centres-are-a-booming-business-in-canada/

YAAAAAAGH

runs away from the stock photo, screaming in horror

There is an opportunity for cable management, that's for sure…

How about Vancouver? That might be a good spot, geographically speaking. Or Calgary. Toronto is great, but it's already darn close to Newark. (Close enough that my traffic from upstate NY to Newark went via Chicago and Toronto for quite some time.)

Vancouver would be a good place for Linode in that they don't have any facilities in the north west, but it wouldn't do anything to service eastern Canada, where the majority of the country's population is: more than half of the population of Canada is in the Quebec City-Windsor corridor.

As a result, a datacenter in Vancouver would service only ~10 million Canadians, while a datacenter in Montreal or Toronto would service ~25 million Canadians.

The downside of having such a large country: Newfoundland is much closer to England than it is to Vancouver, despite the Atlantic ocean in between.

Would there be a discount if the Linode invoice was paid in "Loonies"?

//assuming they still have Loonies, I haven't been in Canada for several years//

@vonskippy:

Would there be a discount if the Linode invoice was paid in "Loonies"?

//assuming they still have Loonies, I haven't been in Canada for several years//

We do indeed still have loonies. Also twonies ;)

There would be a discount in that we wouldn't have to pay the ~2.5% fee that VISA charges for currency conversions, but no major difference apart from that. Anything in foreign currency just goes on the credit card and gets auto-converted.

@sleddog:

We do indeed still have loonies. Also twonies ;)

What a coincidence! I have two knees too! ;)

Hi there I would love to see Linode expand into Canada.

I have two linodes for my secondary DNS servers but would happily move off my existing privately operated VPS and onto yours if only you could let me host here in Canada.

Pretty please!

hh

Given recent changes to US Internet privacy legislation, I think this is worth revisiting.

As a Canadian residing in Canada, I plan to migrate my VM(s) out of the US very soon. It'd be nice if I could do that while staying with Linode.

@suetanvil:

Given recent changes to US Internet privacy legislation, I think this is worth revisiting.

As a Canadian residing in Canada, I plan to migrate my VM(s) out of the US very soon. It'd be nice if I could do that while staying with Linode.

I'm really not sure how the changes (ludicrous though they are) to US law would impact your hosting. The primary impact is to US consumers who can now have their data sold by their ISPs. This won't change anything based on the location of your VMs. US based users will have potential issues regardless of the location of your host. Non-US users won't. If Linode had a Canadian host, the only thing you would change by moving your VMs out of the US is whether Linode could track/sell your data based on US vs Canadian law. Since Linode isn't going to do that anyway per their privacy policy and you're clearly putting your trust Linode by asking them to have Canadian hosting, I fail to see what difference it makes.

That said, if your desire to move is to make a statement against the law by moving your business out of the US, then that's a reasonable goal. But don't think it'll do anything to help your users.

@glg:

I'm really not sure how the changes (ludicrous though they are) to US law would impact your hosting. The primary impact is to US consumers who can now have their data sold by their ISPs. This won't change anything based on the location of your VMs. US based users will have potential issues regardless of the location of your host. Non-US users won't. If Linode had a Canadian host, the only thing you would change by moving your VMs out of the US is whether Linode could track/sell your data based on US vs Canadian law. Since Linode isn't going to do that anyway per their privacy policy and you're clearly putting your trust Linode by asking them to have Canadian hosting, I fail to see what difference it makes.

That said, if your desire to move is to make a statement against the law by moving your business out of the US, then that's a reasonable goal. But don't think it'll do anything to help your users.

I think the other change 45 made is of more concern. Section 14 of this Executive Order: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-of … ior-united">https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/25/presidential-executive-order-enhancing-public-safety-interior-united strips all non-US citizens of privacy rights. That's much worse than ISP's selling your browsing history. It specifically excludes non-US citizens from the protections of the Privacy Act, regarding personally identifiable information. I'm not a lawyer, but it sounds to me like any company can do anything they want with your info if you're not a US citizen (or lawful permanent resident). Which also probably means they can't be held liable for data breaches, or other security lapses. It could even allow staff at a company to use customer data to stalk someone, monitor their communications, or who knows what, all legally.

I think it would be awesome for Linode to create a Canadian based subsidiary (should be able to structure it in a way to limit US government interference). That subsidiary would be subject to Canadian privacy laws that are (I believe) among the strictest in the world.

I'd even pay extra for that.

Please!!! I want it!

The state of the Privacy Act in the U.S. should have no impact on your decision. It applies only to information held by government agencies, not companies or individuals.

@Vance:

The state of the Privacy Act in the U.S. should have no impact on your decision. It applies only to information held by government agencies, not companies or individuals.

Very interesting. Thanks for that clarification!

There a few concerns by Canadians and its officials in storing Canadian citizen data in the US.
https://cippic.ca/en/US_access_to_Canadian_data

As of a year or so, Linode now has servers in Toronto, Canada.

Thank you!

FWIW, if you had a datacenter in BC, I would certainly use it. BC (presumably Vancouver) is much closer to my location in Oregon than Fremont, CA.

-- sw