The GDPR-compliant alternative to US meeting tools
Otter.ai, Fireflies and similar tools mostly process meeting audio in the USA. MeetingIQ keeps transcription, summaries and task detection 100% in the EU, with a data processing agreement (DPA), a consent gate and automatic audio deletion.
US meeting tool vs. MeetingIQ
The comparison covers structural differences in data protection, not individual features.
| Criterion | Typical US tool | MeetingIQ |
|---|---|---|
| Server location / hosting | Mostly USA | Germany and EU (Hetzner, Falkenstein) |
| Audio processing | Often outside the EU | Exclusively in the EU (Deepgram EU, Mistral FR) |
| US CLOUD Act access | Possible | Does not apply (EU provider, EU data) |
| Data processing agreement (DPA) | Often only on request / Enterprise | Ready to sign in your account |
| Consent (§ 201 StGB, German Criminal Code) | The user's responsibility | Technical consent gate before upload |
| Audio retention | Often permanent | 24 hours by default, configurable per workspace |
| List of subprocessors | Not always public | Fully public |
| German VAT invoice | Not always | Yes, via an EU payment provider |
Why the server location determines GDPR compliance
EU only, no third-country transfer
If audio and transcripts stay in the EU, the laborious third-country transfer under Schrems II does not arise: no standard contractual clauses, no transfer impact assessment needed.
No US CLOUD Act
Purely EU-based providers are not subject to the US CLOUD Act. Confidential board, legal and healthcare meetings are therefore protected from access by authorities in third countries.
DPA and proof of consent built in
The data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is ready to sign in your account. Consents are logged with a timestamp, so you have proof if there is ever a dispute.
Data minimisation by default
Original audio is deleted after 24 hours by default (Art. 5(1)(c) GDPR). You set the retention period for each workspace yourself.