GDPR Compliant AI Meeting Assistants: What Enterprise Teams Need to Know in 2026

Summary:

• GDPR compliant AI meeting assistants require specific security certifications, transparent data processing policies, and explicit consent mechanisms to protect personal data in meeting recordings and transcripts
• Key compliance features include SOC 2 Type II certification, data residency controls, configurable retention policies, and guarantees that customer data is never used for AI model training
• Choosing a compliant tool protects your organization from fines up to €20 million or 4% of global revenue while ensuring meeting intelligence remains searchable and secure

Your meetings contain some of your organization's most sensitive information: strategic decisions, client details, financial discussions, and employee data. When you add an AI meeting assistant to capture and transcribe those conversations, every word becomes personal data under GDPR.

The risk is real. Organizations using non-compliant AI tools face fines up to €20 million or 4% of global annual revenue, whichever is higher. But the deeper problem is trust: one data breach involving meeting recordings can damage client relationships and company reputation far beyond any regulatory penalty.

The good news? You don't have to choose between AI-powered meeting intelligence and data protection. GDPR compliant AI meeting assistants exist, and they can capture every critical conversation while keeping your organization on the right side of European data protection law.

This guide breaks down what GDPR compliance actually means for AI meeting tools, the specific features to look for, and how to evaluate whether a tool meets your organization's security requirements.

What does GDPR compliance mean for AI meeting assistants?

GDPR compliant AI meeting assistants are tools that record, transcribe, and analyze meetings while adhering to the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation. This means they must protect personal data through specific technical measures, transparent processing policies, and robust user rights mechanisms.

Meeting recordings and transcripts fall squarely under GDPR's definition of personal data processing. When an AI tool captures a meeting, it collects names, voices, opinions, and often sensitive business information. Under GDPR, this triggers several legal requirements:

1. Lawful basis for processing: Your organization needs a valid legal ground (typically consent or legitimate interest) before recording
2. Transparency obligations: All meeting participants must be informed that recording and AI processing is taking place
3. Data minimization: Only collect data necessary for the stated purpose
4. Storage limitation: Keep recordings only as long as needed
5. Security measures: Implement appropriate technical protections
6. Data subject rights: Enable individuals to access, correct, or delete their data

Many AI meeting assistants marketed as "GDPR compliant" only partially meet these requirements. They might encrypt data in transit but store it on US servers subject to foreign surveillance laws. Or they might claim compliance while quietly using customer meeting data to train their AI models.

True compliance requires end-to-end consideration of how personal data flows through the entire system, from the moment a recording starts until it's permanently deleted.

Why GDPR compliance matters for meeting recordings

Meeting recordings represent a unique privacy risk because they capture unstructured, spontaneous conversation. Unlike a form submission or database entry, a meeting transcript might contain health information, financial details, opinions about colleagues, or confidential business strategies, all without participants consciously "entering" that data.

Consider what a single recorded meeting might contain:

• Employee names, roles, and performance discussions
• Client contact information and account details
• Medical information if someone mentions a health issue
• Financial data, salary discussions, or budget information
• Strategic plans competitors would pay to access
• Personal opinions that could be taken out of context

Under GDPR, processing this information requires explicit justification and robust protection. The regulation's fines aren't theoretical: European data protection authorities have issued significant penalties to organizations that recorded calls without proper consent or stored personal data without adequate safeguards.

Beyond regulatory risk, non-compliant AI meeting tools create practical problems. If your AI assistant stores meeting data on servers outside the EU, cross-border data transfer rules apply. If the vendor uses your recordings to improve their AI models, you may be violating data minimization principles. If a participant requests deletion of their data and you can't comply, you're in breach.

For enterprise teams, the question isn't whether to adopt AI meeting assistants. It's whether you can find one that captures the intelligence you need without exposing your organization to unnecessary risk.

What to look for in a GDPR compliant AI meeting assistant

Evaluating AI meeting tools for GDPR compliance requires looking beyond marketing claims. Here are the specific features and certifications that indicate genuine compliance:

Security certifications and audits

The foundation of compliance is third-party verification. Look for:

SOC 2 Type II certification: This demonstrates ongoing security controls verified through rigorous external audit. SOC 2 Type II is more meaningful than Type I because it covers an extended period (typically 12 months) rather than a single point in time.

ISO 27001 certification: This international standard for information security management shows systematic protection of data assets. Some organizations prefer ISO 27001 for its global recognition.

GDPR specific compliance: The vendor should provide a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) that clearly defines their role as a data processor, outlines their obligations, and specifies technical and organizational measures.

For example, Fellow is SOC 2 Type II certified, GDPR compliant, and HIPAA compliant, providing the layered verification enterprise teams require.

Data residency and transfer controls

_Where your meeting data physically resides matters under GDPR. Tools that store data exclusively on US servers create transfer compliance challenges, requiring Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and transfer impact assessments.

Ideal features include:

• EU data center options for European customers
• Clear documentation of all data processing locations
• Transparency about sub-processors and where they operate
• Controls to restrict data to specific geographic regions

AI model training policies

This is where many AI meeting assistants fail compliance tests. Some vendors use customer meeting data to train and improve their AI models, which creates significant GDPR concerns around purpose limitation and data minimization.

A genuinely compliant tool will explicitly state:

• Customer data is never used for AI model training
• All LLM vendors (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) have agreements preventing training on your data
• Data is deleted from vendor systems immediately after processing

Fellow, for instance, explicitly commits that its AI is never trained on customer data, and all partner LLMs have agreements ensuring your meeting content isn't used for model improvement.

Retention and deletion controls

GDPR requires organizations to keep personal data only as long as necessary. Your AI meeting assistant should provide:

• Configurable retention periods (e.g., auto-delete after 30, 60, or 90 days)
• Manual deletion capabilities for individual recordings
• Bulk deletion options for compliance with data subject requests
• Audit logs showing when data was deleted and by whom

Access controls and permissions

Not everyone in your organization should access every meeting recording. GDPR-aligned tools offer:

• Role-based access controls (RBAC) defining who can view, edit, or delete content
• Granular sharing settings to restrict access to specific team members
• Admin controls over organization-wide sharing defaults
• Integration with enterprise SSO and identity management

How to evaluate an AI meeting assistant for GDPR compliance

Before adopting any AI meeting tool, conduct a structured evaluation. Use this framework to assess compliance:

Step 1: Review published security documentation

Start with the vendor's Trust Center or Security page. Look for:

• Specific certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR readiness)
• Detailed sub-processor lists
• Data flow diagrams showing how information moves through their system
• Published Data Processing Agreement (DPA)

If this information isn't publicly available, that's a warning sign. Compliant vendors are transparent about their security posture.

Step 2: Request a Data Processing Agreement

Before any personal data flows to the vendor, you need a signed DPA. Review it for:

• Clear definition of processing activities
• Specific security measures the vendor commits to
• Breach notification timelines (GDPR requires 72-hour notification)
• Deletion and return of data provisions
• Audit rights

Step 3: Conduct a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)

GDPR requires DPIAs for high-risk processing activities. Meeting recording typically qualifies. Your assessment should cover:

• What personal data is captured
• Legal basis for processing
• Data retention periods
• Security measures
• Risks to data subjects and mitigation strategies

Step 4: Verify LLM vendor compliance

AI meeting assistants rely on large language models for transcription and summarization. Investigate:

• Which LLM providers does the vendor use?
• Do those providers have SOC 2 or equivalent certifications?
• Are there data processing agreements with the LLM vendors?
• Is customer data used for model training at any level?

Step 5: Test consent and notification features

GDPR requires informed consent or another valid legal basis. Evaluate how the tool:

• Notifies meeting participants that recording is active
• Documents consent for compliance records
• Allows participants to opt out or request deletion
• Handles recordings where consent wasn't properly obtained

8 GDPR compliant AI meeting notetakers for 2026

Finding an AI meeting assistant that genuinely supports GDPR compliance requires careful evaluation. Here are eight tools that offer meaningful privacy and security features for European organizations:

1. Fellow

Fellow is a secure AI meeting notetaker built from the ground up with privacy and security as foundational principles. It captures meetings across Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Slack Huddles while maintaining enterprise-grade data protection.

GDPR compliance features:

• SOC 2 Type II certified with annual audits
• GDPR and HIPAA compliant
• Customer data is never used for AI model training
• Partner LLMs have zero-data-retention agreements
• Configurable data retention policies
• Granular role-based access controls
• Botless recording option for sensitive meetings
• Transcript redaction and pause/resume recording capabilities

Standout capability: Ask Fellow lets you query across all your meetings with natural language questions like "What commitments did we make to the client?" while respecting permission boundaries, so users only access meetings they're authorized to view.

Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $7/user/month

2. tl;dv

tl;dv positions itself as a privacy-focused alternative with strong European roots. The platform emphasizes GDPR compliance and transparent data handling practices.

GDPR compliance features:

• GDPR compliant with EU data residency
• SOC 2 certified with ISO 27001-certified data centers
• AES-256 encryption for stored data
• Explicit commitment: never uses customer data for AI training
• Partners with Anthropic for secure generative AI processing
• Data anonymization and randomized processing chunks

Standout capability: Multi-meeting intelligence reports aggregate insights across conversations, useful for product teams tracking feature requests or sales teams monitoring objection patterns.

Pricing: Free plan with limited features; Pro plan at $18/user/month

3. Jamie

Jamie is a German-based AI notetaker that operates entirely without meeting bots. It captures audio at the system level, meaning no visible AI participant joins your calls.

GDPR compliance features:

• GDPR compliant with data stored in Frankfurt, Germany
• AES encryption for data in transit and at rest
• Audio files permanently deleted after transcript generation
• No third-party model training on customer data
• Works offline for in-person meetings
• Desktop apps for macOS and Windows (no browser extension required)

Standout capability: The Executive Assistant Sidebar (Ctrl/Cmd + J) provides real-time AI assistance during meetings, powered by your choice of AI models including GPT-4 and Claude.

Pricing: Free plan with 10 meetings/month; paid plans from €24/user/month

4. Fireflies.ai

Fireflies offers robust transcription and conversation intelligence with strong integrations into sales workflows. The platform has invested significantly in compliance certifications.

GDPR compliance features:

• SOC 2 Type II certified
• GDPR compliant (Standard Contractual Clauses for EU transfers)
• HIPAA compliant with BAA available (Enterprise only)
• 256-bit AES encryption at rest, TLS 1.2 in transit
• Does not use customer data for AI training (zero-data-retention with OpenAI)
• Private storage option for Enterprise customers
• Configurable data retention policies

Limitations: Data is processed on US servers by default. EU organizations should verify transfer mechanisms and consider the Enterprise tier's private storage option for full data sovereignty.

Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans from $10/user/month

5. Sembly AI

Sembly AI offers extensive compliance certifications beyond GDPR, making it suitable for organizations in regulated industries like healthcare and education.

GDPR compliance features:

• SOC 2 Type II certified
• GDPR compliant with EU-US Data Privacy Framework certification
• HIPAA, PCI DSS, and FERPA compliant
• Encryption at rest and in transit
• Enterprise plans exclude AI model training
• Trust Center with detailed security documentation
• Data Processing Agreement available

Standout capability: Sembly's AI can generate custom deliverables like project plans, sprint backlogs, and sales pitches directly from meeting content.

Pricing: Free plan available; Professional plan at $10/user/month

6. Read AI

Read AI emphasizes ease of use with a "works instantly" approach while maintaining enterprise security standards. It's particularly strong for organizations already using multiple communication platforms.

GDPR compliance features:

• SOC 2 Type II certified
• GDPR compliant
• HIPAA compliant
• Does not train on customer data by default (opt-out)
• Encryption for all measured meetings
• Permission-based access controls
• Post-call deletion options for audio, video, and reports

Standout capability: Read AI works across meetings, email, and messaging platforms, providing unified intelligence across all workplace communication.

Pricing: Free plan available; Enterprise starts at $25/user/month

7. MeetGeek

MeetGeek combines transcription with conversation analytics, offering insights into talk time, sentiment, and meeting effectiveness alongside GDPR compliance.

GDPR compliance features:

• SOC 2 Type II certified
• GDPR and CCPA compliant
• HIPAA compliant
• EU data storage for European customers
• Role-based access controls (RBAC)
• Configurable retention and deletion policies
• Annual compliance audits

Standout capability: Team performance analytics track conversation patterns, interruptions, and topic flow, making it valuable for managers coaching team communication skills.

Pricing: Free plan with 5 hours/month; Pro plan at $15/user/month

8. Otter.ai

Otter.ai pioneered AI meeting transcription and offers strong real-time capabilities with live transcript display during meetings. However, GDPR compliance requires careful configuration.

GDPR compliance features:

• SOC 2 Type II certified (as of mid-2025)
• GDPR compliant with Data Processing Agreement
• AES-256 encryption
• Option to disable data retention
• Admin-level privacy controls on Business plans

Limitations: Data is processed on US servers. The platform has faced past media scrutiny around privacy practices, though compliance has improved. Limited language support (English, Spanish, French, Japanese) may constrain global teams.

Pricing: Free plan available; Pro plan at $8.33/user/month (annual)

Comparing GDPR compliance across AI meeting assistants

Not all AI meeting assistants approach GDPR compliance equally. Here's how key platforms compare on critical compliance factors:

Fellow stands out for enterprise compliance because it combines comprehensive certifications (SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA) with explicit commitments that customer data is never used for AI training. The platform also provides granular privacy controls and configurable retention policies that support compliance at scale.

Otter.ai and Fireflies offer transcription capabilities but store data primarily on US servers and have less transparent policies around AI training data usage.

Jamie and tl;dv are EU-based options with strong GDPR positioning, though they lack the broader compliance certifications (HIPAA) that multi-industry enterprises require.

Best practices for GDPR compliant meeting recording

Choosing a compliant tool is only the first step. Your organization also needs operational practices that support compliance:

Establish clear recording policies

Document when and why meetings are recorded. Your policy should specify:

• Which meeting types require recording
• Who has authority to initiate recording
• How consent is obtained and documented
• Retention periods by meeting type
• Access permissions for different roles

Implement pre-meeting notification

GDPR requires transparency. Build notification into your meeting workflow:

1. Include recording notice in calendar invitations
2. Announce recording verbally at meeting start
3. Ensure the AI assistant displays visible recording indicators
4. Provide opt-out instructions for participants

Configure retention appropriately

Different meeting types warrant different retention periods:

• Client calls: Align with contract terms or industry requirements
• Internal team meetings: Shorter retention (30-90 days) typically sufficient
• Board meetings: Longer retention for governance requirements
• Training sessions: Retain until content is obsolete

Train your team

Employees need to understand:

• When recording is appropriate
• How to obtain proper consent
• How to respond to data subject access requests
• Security practices for handling meeting data

Audit regularly

Conduct periodic reviews of:

• Which meetings are being recorded
• Who has access to recordings
• Whether retention policies are being enforced
• Any security incidents or access anomalies

Frequently asked questions

What makes an AI meeting assistant GDPR compliant?

A GDPR compliant AI meeting assistant meets European data protection requirements through specific technical and organizational measures. This includes having valid security certifications (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001), transparent data processing policies, configurable retention controls, and explicit commitments not to use customer data for AI model training. The tool must also support consent mechanisms, enable data subject rights (access, deletion), and provide Data Processing Agreements for enterprise customers.

Can I use AI meeting assistants for meetings with EU participants?

Yes, but only if the tool meets GDPR requirements. This means ensuring proper consent or another legal basis before recording, notifying all participants that AI is capturing the meeting, and using a tool that protects data appropriately. If the meeting assistant stores data outside the EU, you need appropriate transfer mechanisms (Standard Contractual Clauses) and should conduct a transfer impact assessment.

Does GDPR require consent to record meetings?

GDPR requires a lawful basis for processing personal data, which could be consent, legitimate interest, contractual necessity, or legal obligation. For meeting recordings, consent is the most straightforward approach. However, legitimate interest may apply for internal business meetings if you document your assessment and provide transparency to participants. Regardless of legal basis, GDPR requires informing all participants that recording is taking place.

What happens if an AI meeting assistant isn't GDPR compliant?

Using a non-compliant AI meeting assistant exposes your organization to regulatory fines (up to €20 million or 4% of global revenue), reputational damage, and potential civil liability. Data protection authorities can also order you to stop processing, effectively shutting down your use of the tool. Beyond penalties, a data breach involving meeting recordings could damage client relationships and employee trust.

How do I know if my AI meeting assistant uses data for AI training?

Check the vendor's privacy policy, terms of service, and Data Processing Agreement for explicit statements about AI model training. Compliant vendors clearly state that customer data is not used for training. Be wary of vague language like "improving our services" without specific exclusions for model training. Ask the vendor directly and request written confirmation if documentation is unclear.

Which AI meeting assistant is best for GDPR compliance?

Fellow leads the market for GDPR compliant AI meeting assistants because it combines comprehensive security certifications (SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, HIPAA) with enterprise-grade privacy controls. Fellow explicitly commits that customer data is never used for AI training, provides configurable retention policies, offers bot-free recording options, and supports granular access controls. For organizations that need to balance meeting intelligence with data protection, Fellow provides the security architecture required for confident enterprise deployment.

Ensure your meeting notes are GDPR compliant

Your meetings contain critical organizational knowledge, but without the right AI assistant, that intelligence either lives in silos or gets exposed to unnecessary risk. GDPR compliant AI meeting assistants solve this tension by capturing conversations securely and making them searchable across your organization.

The key is choosing a tool built from the ground up with privacy and security in mind, not one that bolted on compliance features as an afterthought. Look for SOC 2 Type II certification, explicit no-training policies, configurable retention, and granular access controls.

Our top choice: Fellow is the secure AI meeting assistant that turns every meeting into shared, searchable intelligence without compromising on data protection. With SOC 2 Type II certification, GDPR and HIPAA compliance, and a commitment to never train on your data, Fellow gives enterprise teams the confidence to capture every critical conversation.