Privacy, Security and Sovereignty in Enterprise AI: What your company needs to know
Implementing AI in your company doesn't mean compromising your data privacy. Discover how to protect sensitive information, comply with GDPR and maintain sovereignty over your data when using AI-powered virtual assistants.
01-03-2026
Sources used for this article
One of the main concerns when companies consider implementing AI-powered virtual assistants is: "What will happen to our data? Will it be secure? Who will have access to it?"
These concerns are completely valid. We're talking about sensitive information: customer data, internal policies, confidential documentation, business strategies. In this article we explain everything you need to know about privacy, security and data sovereignty when implementing AI in your company.
The real risks of enterprise AI
Before talking about solutions, it's important to understand the risks that exist when using AI tools without proper precautions:
- Sensitive data leaks: If you use public ChatGPT, your conversations can be stored and used to train future models
- Loss of control over information: Once you upload data to certain AI services, you lose visibility over where it's stored and who can access it
- GDPR non-compliance: Transferring personal data outside the EU without proper guarantees can result in multi-million fines
- Intellectual property exposure: Strategic documents, source code or confidential information ending up in the wrong hands
- Unauthorized access: Employees or third parties accessing information they shouldn't see
⚠️ Real case: In 2023, Samsung temporarily banned the use of ChatGPT after several employees leaked source code and confidential meeting notes while asking for help. The data remained stored on OpenAI's servers, outside Samsung's control.
What is data sovereignty?
Data sovereignty is the principle that digital data is subject to the laws of the country where it's stored. For European companies, this has important implications:
🇪🇺 Data in the EU
Protected by GDPR, one of the world's strictest data protection legislations.
🇺🇸 Data in the US
Subject to the Cloud Act, which allows the US government to access data stored by American companies, even if it's on European servers.
When you use services like ChatGPT, Google Bard or Microsoft Copilot, your data is usually processed and stored on servers in the United States, which can compromise sovereignty and regulatory compliance.
💡 Important: It's not about distrusting these companies, but understanding that they're subject to different legislations. For many European companies, especially in regulated sectors (banking, healthcare, legal), keeping data in the EU is not optional, it's a legal requirement.
GDPR and AI: What you must comply with
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) establishes strict rules about how companies must handle personal data. When implementing AI, you must ensure:
1. Legal basis for processing
You must have legal justification for processing personal data (consent, legitimate interest, contractual fulfillment, etc.)
2. Data minimization
You should only collect and process data strictly necessary for the specific purpose
3. Right of access and portability
Users must be able to access their data and obtain a copy in structured format
4. Right to be forgotten
Ability to completely delete personal data when requested by the user
5. Transparency and explainability
Users must understand how their data is used and how the AI system works (this is where RAG and its verifiable sources are key)
6. Processing security
Appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect data (encryption, access control, etc.)
How to implement AI securely and in GDPR compliance
The good news is that it is possible to implement enterprise AI while maintaining privacy, security and regulatory compliance. Here's how:
1. Choose providers with European infrastructure
Look for platforms that store and process data on servers located in the European Union, subject to European legislation.
Advantage: Guaranteed data sovereignty, GDPR compliance by design, no risk of access by foreign governments.
2. Ensure your data is NOT used to train models
Verify that the provider has clear policies to not use your data to train their AI models. Your internal documents must remain private.
Advantage: Your confidential information will never be part of the general knowledge of a model that others can consult.
3. Implement granular access control
Not all employees should have access to all information. Implement systems that allow you to define which users or groups can access which documents.
Advantage: The sales team only sees commercial documentation, HR only sees internal policies, complying with the principle of least privilege.
4. End-to-end encryption
Data must be encrypted both in transit (when sent) and at rest (when stored).
Advantage: Even if someone intercepts communication or physically accesses servers, data is unreadable without encryption keys.
5. Audit and traceability
Maintain records of who accesses what information and when. This is fundamental for security audits and regulatory compliance.
Advantage: Detect unauthorized access, demonstrate compliance in audits, investigate security incidents.
6. Retention and deletion policies
Define how long data is stored and ensure you can completely delete it when necessary (right to be forgotten).
Advantage: GDPR compliance, reduced risks by not storing unnecessary data.
European vs. American infrastructure: What's the difference?
| Aspect | American Infrastructure | European Infrastructure |
|---|---|---|
| Server location | United States (mainly) | ✓ European Union |
| Applicable legislation | Cloud Act (US) | ✓ GDPR (EU) |
| Government access | ⚠️ US government can request access | ✓ Only under European court order |
| Data protection | Variable by provider | ✓ GDPR mandatory by law |
| Non-compliance fines | According to local legislation | ✓ Up to €20M or 4% global revenue |
How Mentomy guarantees privacy, security and sovereignty
At Mentomy we understand that security and privacy are not optional. That's why we've designed our platform with these fundamental principles:
100% European infrastructure
All your data is stored and processed on servers located in the European Union, guaranteeing data sovereignty.
Your data is yours only
We never use your documents to train models. Your information remains completely private and under your control.
Native GDPR compliance
Designed from the ground up to comply with GDPR: right to be forgotten, portability, transparency and more.
Advanced encryption
Data encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256). No one can access your information without authorization.
Granular access control
Define exactly who can see what information. Permissions at user, group and document level.
Complete audit
Detailed logs of all accesses and operations. Full traceability for compliance and security.
🛡️ Certifications: Mentomy works with infrastructure providers certified ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II and verified GDPR compliance. Your security is our priority.
Frequently asked questions about security
❓ Can Mentomy employees see my documents?
No. Documents are encrypted and only your company has access. Our team cannot read or access your content.
❓ What happens if I want to delete all my information?
You can delete your data at any time from the control panel. Deletion is permanent and irreversible, complying with GDPR's right to be forgotten.
❓ Does Mentomy share data with third parties?
No. Your data is only processed with the AI providers necessary to offer the service (all with European infrastructure and GDPR processing contracts). We never sell or share data with third parties.
❓ Can I use Mentomy in regulated sectors like banking or healthcare?
Yes. Mentomy complies with GDPR requirements and can be configured to meet specific regulations for sectors like banking (PSD2), healthcare (European HIPAA) or legal.
❓ What happens in case of a security breach?
We have incident response and notification protocols according to GDPR (72 hours). Additionally, encryption ensures that even in case of unauthorized access, data would be unreadable.
Checklist: Does your AI provider meet these requirements?
Before hiring any AI service for your company, verify it meets these points:
- ☐ EU servers - Confirmed in writing
- ☐ No training with your data - Clear and verifiable policy
- ☐ GDPR compliance - Documentation and certifications available
- ☐ End-to-end encryption - Both in transit and at rest
- ☐ Access control - Granular permissions by user/group
- ☐ Audit and logs - Complete traceability of accesses
- ☐ Right to be forgotten - Ability to permanently delete data
- ☐ Signed DPA - Data Processing Agreement according to GDPR
- ☐ Data portability - Export information in standard formats
- ☐ Transparency - Clear documentation on how the system works
If your provider doesn't meet all these points, you're taking unnecessary risks with your company's information.
Mentomy: democratizando la IA para todos
Want to implement AI in your company without compromising data security? Discover how Mentomy guarantees privacy, GDPR compliance and data sovereignty with 100% European infrastructure.