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Is Slack GDPR-safe?

Partly: read the fine print

Slack offers EU data storage only on more expensive business plans, but the vendor is based outside the EU and may be covered by third-country legislation (for US companies: the CLOUD Act) regardless of server location. For non-sensitive data this is rarely a problem, but for customer data you should weigh the risk.

Facts that decide

Vendor jurisdiction Outside EU (Slack Technologies (Salesforce))
EU data storageEnterprise/Business plan only
GDPR terms / DPAStated to be available, verify in your contract
CertificationsISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 2
CategoryCollaboration

Full review of Slack →

How to use it more safely

  1. Sign a data processing agreement (DPA) if personal data is processed.
  2. Never enter national IDs or sensitive data, especially here where data leaves the EU.
  3. Check the vendor's sub-processors: AI features often forward data.
  4. Read our GDPR guide for small businesses for the full picture.

European alternatives

WF Chat

Webbfabriken

4,3 Very good
Swedish Collaboration Free EU data storage ✓

Swedish team chat with channels, direct messages as well as voice and video calls, running on Webbfabriken's own servers in Stockholm. Drawback: small vendor and a young service without a large ecosystem of integrations.

  • All data is stored in Stockholm, built and run by a Swedish company
  • Free for now, with core features such as channels, video and file sharing
  • Small vendor: long-term future and pricing model unclear (free now, paid tiers may come)

Best for: Small Swedish teams that want all chat data to stay in Sweden without American cloud.

Nextcloud

Nextcloud

4,0 Very good
German/EU
EU/EEA Collaboration Freemium EU data storage ✓

German platform for files, collaboration, chat and calendar, Europe's great alternative to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

  • Comprehensive: files, chat, calendar, documents
  • German, can run on own EU servers
  • Requires server operation

Best for: Companies that want control over files and collaboration within the EU.

Wire

Wire Swiss GmbH

3,5 Good
EU/EEA Collaboration Freemium EU data storage ✓ ISO 27001

End-to-end encrypted messaging and collaboration app with servers in Germany and Ireland. Drawback: the company is based in Switzerland (outside the EU/EEA) and the service is more messaging than full collaboration tool.

  • Strong end-to-end encryption for everything including calls
  • Data stored in the EU (Germany/Ireland), GDPR- and ISO 27001-aligned
  • The company is headquartered in Switzerland, i.e. outside the EU/EEA

Best for: Security-conscious teams that prioritize strong encryption for messages and calls.

Common questions

Does Slack store data inside the EU?

Only on Enterprise/Business plans. On free and standard plans data is stored outside the EU.

Is Slack covered by the CLOUD Act?

The vendor is based outside the EU. US companies are covered by the CLOUD Act regardless of server location; see the tool page for details.

What is needed to use Slack in a GDPR-safe way?

Sign a data processing agreement (DPA) if the tool processes personal data on your behalf, minimise the personal data you feed in, and check the vendor's sub-processors. See our DPA guide for the steps.

Our assessment is based on verified data about vendor, storage and certifications (2026). GDPR compliance also depends on how you use the tool. This is guidance, not legal advice. See How we review.