However, the new initiative, prompted by Germany's recent announcement that Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone had been monitored, will face significant challenges if it is to be successful. It may not be effective for Germans accessing websites hosted on servers outside the country, such as Facebook or Google. Additionally, Deutsche Telekom may struggle to gain the support of other broadband providers who are hesitant to share network information. Furthermore, the initiative goes against the current structure of the Internet, where global traffic flows freely between networks without regard for national borders. If more countries adopt similar measures, it could lead to a fragmented Internet, undermining the openness and efficiency that have fueled its economic growth. In countries like China and Iran, governments control internet traffic by using firewalls to block certain websites like Facebook and Twitter. Professor Torsten Gerpott from the University of Duisburg-Essen noted that it is unusual for developed countries to have their internet traffic pass through servers in other countries. Deutsche Telekom, partially owned by the government, has received support for its efforts to provide customers with more options, such as encrypting emails and routing traffic through domestic servers. In Germany, government surveillance is a touchy topic due to the country's strict privacy laws and the history of eavesdropping by the Stasi secret police in East Germany. Chancellor Merkel has called for a "no-spying" agreement with the US and France by the end of the year. However, experts believe that the recent discussions may not lead to significant changes, as most of Germany's internet traffic already stays within its borders. Additionally, Deutsche Telekom's approach of charging other networks for carrying traffic conflicts with the goal of keeping data within Germany. It may be more cost-effective or even free for German data traffic to pass through London or Amsterdam, where it could be accessed by foreign intelligence agencies. Thomas Kremer, the executive responsible for data privacy and legal matters at the German operator, stated that the group must establish connection agreements with three more operators to enable national routing. If this does not happen, he suggested the possibility of a legislative solution. Kremer emphasized that traffic should not be routed through other countries as long as both the sender and receiver are within the Schengen area or Germany. A spokesperson for Telefonica Germany mentioned that they are in preliminary discussions with other organizations regarding national routing. A representative from Vodafone stated that they are currently assessing the Deutsche Telekom proposal to determine if and how it will be implemented. Despite Deutsche Telekom's portrayal of themselves as a trustworthy protector of user data, their history with privacy issues is a mixed one. In a scandal in 2008 known as Telekomgate, Klaus Trzeschan, a security manager at the company, was sentenced to three and a half years in jail for his involvement in monitoring phone calls of the firm's executives, board members, and journalists. A spokesperson from Deutsche Telekom claimed that this incident prompted the company to prioritize privacy and security measures in recent years, leading them to become a leading company in the industry in terms of customer trust. Data centers are key components of online services, as they house the routers and switches that direct data traffic. Popular web companies often rely on a small number of large data centers to power their operations. These data centers are strategically located based on factors such as cheap power, cool climates, and high-speed broadband networks, rather than the location of the company's customers. For example, a Munich resident using Facebook to chat with a friend in Berlin may have their data routed through one of the company's massive data centers located thousands of kilometers away. Different functions of a website, such as games, messaging, and wall posts, are often distributed among multiple data centers to enhance efficiency. Similarly, emails sent between two German residents using Google's Gmail may be routed through data centers in other countries such as Finland, Belgium, or Ireland. The experts believe that the only way to bring about a change in this situation would be for Germany to implement a policy mandating local hosting of websites, a drastic measure that German leaders have not yet been willing to support. Deutsche Telekom has not confirmed whether they will advocate for this approach. In response to reports of U.S. surveillance, Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff is working on legislation that would require internet companies like Google and Facebook to store data gathered from users within the country. Another potential solution is for European leaders to strengthen a data-privacy law that has been in development for nearly two years. Although a tougher version of the law was recently approved by the European Parliament, it still needs to be ratified by member states. France and Germany might be able to convince member states to accelerate discussions to finalize the new data regulations by 2015. According to Deutsche Telekom's Kremer, the new legislation could potentially enhance customer safety while still allowing them to access any internet services globally.