OpenAI is expanding its services in Europe by letting companies store their data in EU-based data centers. The change applies to ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, and the company's API platform.
For new API projects, customers can now choose Europe as their data storage and transmission region. OpenAI says it processes these requests without permanent storage. Existing projects can't be moved to European servers. The company's Enterprise and Edu customers can store all their data - including conversations, files, and various types of content - in EU locations.
Security meets compliance needs
OpenAI protects stored data with AES-256 encryption and uses TLS 1.2+ for data in transit. The company says it won't use customer data to train its AI models unless specifically requested. To help organizations meet their GDPR obligations, OpenAI provides a Data Processing Addendum (DPA) that outlines everyone's responsibilities under EU law.
Several major European organizations already use OpenAI's services, including Booking.com, Zalando, Klarna, Oxford University, and Spotify. The company emphasizes that these customers maintain ownership and confidentiality of their data.
This move puts OpenAI in direct competition with Microsoft, currently the only company offering OpenAI models directly in the EU through Azure OpenAI. While Microsoft provides access to various AI models, including those from OpenAI competitor Deepseek, OpenAI focuses solely on its own technology.
Other cloud providers, such as AWS and Google Cloud, also run AI models in the EU, offering their own systems alongside Anthropic's Claude models. Several smaller hosting providers also offer AI models directly in the EU, although they typically don't have access to the larger, exclusive U.S.-based models.
