Data

Zendesk and the GDPR: AI training, data location and DPA

Suite Team: Trains on your data, with no documented way to stop it. EU hosting only on higher plans · DPA in the terms.

Vendor: Zendesk, Inc.Sales, marketing and supportChecked on How we check

Verdict

Is Zendesk GDPR compliant?

Suite Team

Business

Trains on your data, with no documented way to stop it

EU hosting only on higher plans · DPA in the terms

Price: €55 / user / mo

No tool is GDPR compliant on its own: that depends on how your business uses it. This page shows the vendor's side, from its own pages. It is not legal advice.

Training

Does Zendesk train on your data?

Trains on your data by default?

Checked

Trains on your data, with no documented way to stop it.

Yes, for Zendesk's own non-generative models: Zendesk uses Service Data, with identifier fields removed, to train its cross-customer classification and clustering models. Generative features use outside AI models that do not train on customer data

Source: support.zendesk.comSections 'No generative content trained on customer data' and 'Protection of customer data' (edited 7 Jul 2025)Second source: zendesk.comChecked on

Location

Where does Zendesk store your data?

Where data is stored by default

Checked

No commitment: without the Data Center Location add-on, Zendesk makes no commitment on where Service Data is hosted

Source: support.zendesk.comOpening paragraph (edited 29 Sep 2026)Checked on

EU hosting on this plan

Checked

EU hosting only on higher plans.

Not on Suite Team: the Data Center Location add-on (US, EEA, UK, APAC) is offered for Suite Professional, Suite Enterprise and Support Enterprise

Source: zendesk.deFeature comparison row 'Standort des Rechenzentrums' (add-on for Suite Professional and Enterprise)Second source: support.zendesk.comChecked on

Contract

Does Zendesk sign a data processing agreement?

Data processing agreement (DPA)

Checked

DPA in the terms.

Yes. The Data Processing Agreement is part of the Zendesk Customer Agreement and applies when Service Data includes personal data

Source: zendesk.comOpening paragraphSecond source: zendesk.comChecked on

Processors

Who else handles Zendesk data?

Sub-processors (companies that handle the data for them)

Checked

2 listed.

Public. 2 infrastructure (AWS, Google), 27 service-specific including AI from OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Mistral AI, Groq, ElevenLabs and Deepgram, 3 innovation-services, plus 23 Zendesk group companies

Source: support.zendesk.comCurrent tables (policy edited 2 Sep 2026, effective for existing customers 2 Oct 2026)Second source: zendesk.comChecked on

Retention

How long does Zendesk keep your data?

How long data is kept

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Kept for the subscription; 90 days after cancellation an automated process starts deleting Service Data, and ticket, user and attachment data are deleted within 40 days of that start

Source: support.zendesk.comOpening sections and table 'Data Deletion Timeline for Structured Service Data' (edited 3 Jun 2026)Checked on

Security

Which certifications and admin controls does Zendesk have?

Security certifications

Checked

SOC 2 Type II; ISO/IEC 27001:2022, 27017:2015, 27018:2019 and 27701:2019; PCI DSS; FedRAMP LI-SaaS; CSA STAR AI Level 1 and 2; HIPAA support

Source: zendesk.comCompliance sectionChecked on

Admin controls for AI

Checked

Partly: Zendesk's AI addendum says generative AI features can be disabled where applicable; no switch for its own machine-learning models was found

Source: zendesk.comSection 2 ('ability to disable them at any time')Checked on

Price

What does Zendesk cost?

Price, as shown in Germany

Checked

€55 / user / mo.

EUR 55 per agent/month paid yearly; VAT basis not stated

Source: zendesk.dePlan card 'Suite Team'Checked on

The vendor doesn't say: switch-off.

Alternatives

Zendesk alternatives that don't train on your data

Other sales, marketing and support tools whose business plan doesn't train on your data and includes a DPA.

The five marks, in order: No AI training · EU hosting · DPA · Sub-processors listed · DPF or EU vendor. ✓ meets it, ✕ doesn't, – partly, ? not stated.

Tool · PlanVerdictYour five rules
  • Pipedrive

    Growth · €39 / user / mo

    Says it doesn't train on your dataEU hosting available · DPA on request

    ✓✓✓✓✓

  • Attio

    Pro · €74 / user / mo

    Doesn't train on your dataEU hosting not documented · DPA on request

    ✓?✓✓✓

  • Dynamics 365 Sales

    Professional · €56.30 / user / mo

    Doesn't train on your dataEU hosting available · DPA on request

    ✓✓✓?✓

  • folk

    Standard · €22 / user / mo

    Doesn't train on your dataEU hosting available · DPA on request

    ✓✓✓✓✕

  • GetResponse Email Marketing

    Marketer · €44.28 / mo

    Doesn't train on your dataEU hosting not documented · DPA on request

    ✓?✓✓✓

If no plan gives you the training default or data location you need, the tool may not be the right fit. We design and build what your team is missing around your own rules, and keep it running after launch.

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