Right now, non-US based cloud services are using the PATRIOT Act as a way of selling themselves (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2011/12/patriot-act-and-priv

Right now, non-US based cloud services are using the PATRIOT Act as a way of selling themselves (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2011/12/patriot-act-and-privacy-laws-take-a-bite-out-of-us-cloud-business/ http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2011/12/patriot-act-and-p...). As an example from that article: BAE Systems had ditched Microsoft Office 365 over PATRIOT Act concerns, because Microsoft could not guarantee the company's data wouldn't leave Europe. Also, you may not have heard of FATCA, but it's hurting business for Americans outside the US. I'm an American living in Paris and I was approached about an executive level position at a company that really wanted me because I'm an expert in my field. However, due to the nature of the position, I'd have signing authority over this company's accounts. This triggers FATCA laws which would compel this European company with no US business to spend a lot of money preparing financial statements to turn over to the IRS. The exposure and cost outweighed the benefits of hiring me. I'm not the only American abroad whose been screwed this way thanks to US laws. The laws are designed to catch rich tax dodgers, but they wind up punishing a bunch of innocent Americans like myself (I'm a very far cry from rich). On top of that, many Americans abroad are now losing banking services due to FATCA (http://www.overseas-exile.com/2012/07/ing-france-turning-away-us-customers.html http://www.overseas-exile.com/2012/07/ing-france-turning-awa...), meaning that for many Americans abroad, it's getting very hard to do any sort of business at all. Eduardo Saverin, the Facebook cofounder who famously gave up his US citizenship strongly hinted that this was blocking his business opportunities, so like some Americans abroad, you're faced with giving up your US citizenship or giving up your business. Not a fun choice. TL;DR: Americans abroad are getting squeezed out of business opportunities thanks to FATCA and American businesses abroad are losing customers due the PATRIOT Act. If you're in business, it's a rough time to be a US expat and all the business opportunities we lose are going to foreign companies. Thanks, Congress!