Monitor Microsoft Azure compliance pages

Microsoft's public cloud platform — compute, storage, AI services, and enterprise-focused managed offerings integrated with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Microsoft Azure publishes several compliance and legal pages that change over time. Under GDPR Article 28, data controllers using Microsoft Azure as a processor must continuously verify that "sufficient guarantees" remain in place — which means tracking changes to these pages as they happen. Below are the 4 most relevant pages, what typically changes on each, and ready-to-paste monitoring prompts.

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Pages to monitor

Sub-processor list

https://servicetrust.microsoft.com/viewpage/TrustDocumentsV3 ↗

Typical change frequency: quarterly

What to monitor

  • New subcontractors added across Azure, Microsoft 365, and Dynamics 365
  • Changes to subcontractor scope (e.g., which services each one supports)
  • Geographic changes when Microsoft expands regional infrastructure
  • Removed subcontractors when Microsoft brings capabilities in-house

Suggested monitoring prompt

Alert me when Microsoft adds, removes, or changes subcontractors in the Service Trust Portal. Report subcontractor name, processing purpose, and location. Ignore portal navigation changes.

Data Processing Agreement

https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/docs/view/Microsoft-Products-and-Services-Data-Protection-Addendum-DPA ↗

Typical change frequency: yearly

What to monitor

  • Changes to the Data Protection Terms applicable to Azure, M365, and Dynamics
  • Updates to the EU Data Boundary commitments
  • Modifications to security practices in Appendix A
  • Changes to the list of Microsoft entities acting as data processors

Suggested monitoring prompt

Monitor the Microsoft DPA for changes to data protection terms, EU Data Boundary commitments, or security practices. Report substantive changes only.

Privacy policy

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/privacy/privacystatement ↗

Typical change frequency: yearly

What to monitor

  • Changes to diagnostic data collection from Azure and Microsoft 365
  • Updates to Copilot and AI feature data handling disclosures
  • New sharing arrangements with Microsoft affiliates or partners
  • Changes to data retention for business customer telemetry

Suggested monitoring prompt

Alert me when Microsoft changes diagnostic data collection, AI data handling (Copilot), or cross-product sharing for business customers. Ignore consumer-focused changes and editorial updates.

Status page

https://azure.status.microsoft/en-us/status ↗

Typical change frequency: weekly

What to monitor

  • Regional incidents in North Europe and West Europe
  • Cross-service outages affecting authentication (Entra ID)
  • Post-incident reviews involving customer data

Suggested monitoring prompt

Alert me on new Azure incidents affecting European regions or Entra ID. Ignore routine scheduled maintenance.

Compliance certifications

SOC 1/2/3ISO 27001ISO 27017ISO 27018PCI-DSSHIPAAFedRAMP HighGDPREU Data Boundary

Data location

Hosting locations: United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Asia Pacific, Government regions

EU-US Data Privacy Framework: Certified

Related

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