EU data storage – what does it mean?

How it works

Running the assistant involves several layers: website hosting, the location of the knowledge base, the language model call and what happens to backups. Each layer has its own region, and sometimes the provider mentions only the first one.

The path of a customer question can be traced from start to finish: it starts on the website, receives a part from the knowledge base, and the model call may even take the text to an endpoint outside the EU. If even a single layer runs outside the EU, the data has already left the EU.

An example at a company

A provider promises EU hosting in the contract, yet calls the model on a US endpoint. The customer question therefore leaves the EU, even though the website runs on a European server throughout.

The client only finds this out by asking. The contract says EU storage; the practice shows something else.

What this means for business leaders

Ask layer by layer: where the hosting runs, where the model call runs, and where and for how long backups are kept. The label “local provider” is not enough on its own, so it is worth asking for a written statement on the region.

The risk is invisible: data transfers do not always come to light, and they can cause problems during an inspection.

How we do it

Our data stays in the EU, including the model calls; the retention period is 90 days. You can read the details on the data security page.