Are European LLMs (Mistral, Aleph Alpha) GDPR-Compliant?

EU-hosted LLMs reduce — but do not automatically eliminate — GDPR compliance risk. The controller (the organisation using the model) remains responsible under Article 24. EU hosting in Frankfurt or Paris removes Chapter V transfer concerns; data processing agreements under Article 28 are still required; and the lawful-basis and data-minimisation duties continue to apply.

Practical considerations

• EU hosting addresses Schrems II / Chapter V third-country transfer concerns but not the broader controller-processor duties
• Article 28 DPA: controllers must have a written processing agreement with the LLM provider before processing personal data
• Article 30 ROPA: document the LLM as a processing activity, including the lawful basis, recipients, and retention
• Mistral and Aleph Alpha publish their own data processing agreements and security documentation — request before contracting