Top 10 GDPR Compliant Data Labeling Providers in 2026

Your data annotation vendor handles personal data (e.g., faces, license plates, medical images, voice recordings) on your behalf. Under GDPR, that makes them a data processor — and makes you responsible for choosing one that can sign a Data Processing Agreement, secure the data, and delete it when asked.

The EU AI Act adds pressure. Article 10 names annotation and labeling as regulated operations, making GDPR compliant AI data workflows a requirement for high-risk systems by August 2, 2026.

Choosing a trusted vendor is critical if your models use personal data. This guide compares 10 GDPR compliant data labeling providers by certifications, workforce model, and EU data handling so you can choose the right partner for your AI project.

Common GDPR Risks in Data Labeling

Most GDPR risk in data labeling comes down to exposure, access, and control:

• Too much data shared: Sending raw or unnecessary data violates minimization
• Hidden subprocessors: Third parties access your data without clear disclosure
• Weak access control: Large or crowd teams reduce visibility and accountability
• Unprotected transfers: EU data moved without SCCs or valid safeguards
• Unclear deletion: Data is retained longer than agreed or required
• “Compliance” without proof: Claims lack DPAs, certifications, or documented controls
• High-risk workforce models: Distributed crowds increase exposure for sensitive data
• No audit trail: Missing logs make compliance impossible to prove

These risks show up in three places: where data goes, who accesses it, and whether you can prove control.

How We Evaluated Data Labeling Providers

We evaluated each provider based on the factors that most directly affect GDPR risk in data labeling. The goal was to focus on how data is actually handled.

Each provider was assessed across four areas:

• Certifications: ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27701 as indicators of audited security and privacy controls
• Workforce model: In-house, in-facility teams vs distributed crowd contributors, which affects access control and accountability
• Data residency and transfers: Whether data is processed in the EU or transferred under mechanisms like SCCs or the EU-US Data Privacy Framework
• Transparency: Availability of a DPA, subprocessor disclosure, and the ability to audit data handling practices

Based on these criteria, here are 10 GDPR compliant data labeling providers and where each one fits best.

Label Your Data

Label Your Data pairs managed data annotation services with PCI DSS Level 1 certification, the highest payment card security standard. Few annotation providers hold it. The company also maintains ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and is GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA compliant across all services.

Security infrastructure includes NDA-first workflows, data anonymization, encrypted tools, role-based access, and regular audits. You can review the full Data Privacy Framework notice here.

500+ in-house specialists and a network of 1,000+ annotators across 16 countries deliver complex, high-volume annotation programs in computer vision, 3D point cloud, NLP, audio, video, and LiDAR across 55 languages. The team is tool-agnostic and works in any data annotation tool a client requires. 

Core strengths run deepest in computer vision, 3D annotation, autonomous vehicle data, and trust & safety. European teams are available for GDPR-sensitive projects, and free pilot projects let you validate quality before committing to a full engagement.

Best for: Enterprise and AI-intensive teams that need a managed annotation partner with strong security credentials and proven depth in computer vision, 3D, and AV data.

Among the top GDPR compliant data labeling providers, Label Your Data offers the strongest combination of security certifications (PCI DSS Level 1 is unmatched in this space), EU workforce availability, domain depth in CV and 3D, and the option to validate quality through a free pilot before full engagement.

Delivery model: Fully managed annotation service. EU workforce available.

Compliance details: A Data Processing Agreement with a subprocessor list is available for clients. Contact our team for more details.

Read our full Label Your Data company review for a closer look at security credentials and annotation capabilities. You can also explore our data annotation pricing and request a free pilot to test quality before committing.

The biggest GDPR risks are over-sharing personal data, unclear processor/sub-processor chains, and weak access controls that make data exposure hard to audit. Mitigation starts with data minimization, strong DPAs with explicit sub-processor terms, strict role-based access, logging, and, where required, residency controls.

Arvind Sundararaman AI & Data Platform Leader

Toloka

Toloka holds ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and SOC 2 Type II. ISO 27701 layers GDPR-specific privacy controls on top of ISO 27001, and only a few annotation companies carry it. 

Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company publishes a DPA referencing Article 28, supports Standard Contractual Clauses, and lets clients choose data residency on Azure: EU, US, or Asia.

The workforce of 200,000+ experts (70% with advanced degrees) skews heavily toward LLM tasks: fine-tuning, red-teaming, and domain evaluation. Teams that need standard computer vision or NLP annotation should confirm this is still actively supported, as Toloka’s positioning has shifted toward generative AI work.

Best for: Teams that need the strongest privacy certification stack on the market with EU data residency, especially for generative AI work.

Delivery model: Pay-as-you-go self-service and managed enterprise engagements.

Ask before signing: Does ISO 27701 cover all services or specific products? Is standard CV/NLP annotation still a core offering?

Sama

Sama runs 5,000+ full-time employees in owned delivery centers in Nairobi, Kampala, and Gulu. No gig workers. No remote crowd. Annotators sit in facilities with biometric authentication, 2FA, and project-level floor access.

Certifications include ISO 27001, ISO 9001, and TISAX, Germany’s automotive security standard. Sama states GDPR compliance as a data processor and maintains a corporate office in The Hague. 

Services span computer vision, NLP, and generative AI. One consideration: the primary workforce and delivery infrastructure are in East Africa, so EU data transfers require SCCs or equivalent mechanisms.

Best for: Automotive and ADAS teams that require TISAX certification and a full-time, in-facility workforce model.

Delivery model: Fully managed, in-facility. Enterprise custom pricing.

Ask before signing: Is The Hague office staffed or a registered address? What SCCs govern EU data processed in East African delivery centers?

Read our full Sama company review to learn more.

iMerit

iMerit holds SOC 2 Type II, TISAX, ISO 27001, ISO 9001, HIPAA, and states GDPR compliance. 5,500+ full-time employees work across 12+ global centers, primarily in India and Bhutan. 

The Automotive AI Center of Excellence handles LiDAR, RADAR, and camera sensor fusion. Board-certified radiologists supervise medical annotation.

The domain expertise is the differentiator here. For teams that need annotators who understand the data they’re labeling, not just the tooling, iMerit is strong. The trade-off: limited EU operational presence means cross-border transfers are part of every EU engagement.

Best for: Healthcare and automotive teams that need domain-expert annotators under dual SOC 2 Type II and TISAX certification.

Delivery model: Fully managed, in-facility. Enterprise custom pricing.

Ask before signing: Can you share third-party TISAX verification? Does GDPR compliance cover all delivery centers or specific sites?

See our iMerit review for more details.

TELUS Digital

TELUS Digital consolidated Lionbridge AI and Playment into one AI data brand with 1 million+ contributors across 300+ languages. The company states GDPR, SOC 2, and TISAX compliance across its platforms, alongside ISO 27001 certified labeling facilities.

That contributor volume makes TELUS Digital one of the few providers that can staff massive, multilingual programs quickly. But the network is crowd-based, which means data handling controls depend on the specific project setup and facility assignment. Ask about this upfront.

Best for: Enterprise teams running large multilingual programs who need TISAX compliance and scale across 300+ languages.

Delivery model: Managed service with crowd contributors and secure facilities.

Ask before signing: Which facilities hold ISO 27001? What access controls apply to crowd contributors on your project? Request the subprocessor list.

CloudFactory

CloudFactory assigns dedicated, named teams of analysts to your project. Not a crowd. Not anonymous gig workers. 7,000+ trained analysts work in teams across Nepal, Kenya, the Philippines, and Colombia, with corporate offices in the UK and Germany.

The company holds ISO 27001:2022, ISO 9001, SOC 2, and HIPAA. Their GDPR page describes the processor relationship explicitly. They also use OneTrust for compliance tracking, a level of governance tooling most annotation providers skip. 

The gap: delivery centers are in non-EU countries, so data residency for EU projects requires clarification.

Best for: Teams that want named, dedicated annotators with systematic compliance governance and a UK/Germany presence.

Delivery model: Dedicated managed teams. Per-image pricing for CV; hourly for other services.

Ask before signing: Is SOC 2 Type I or Type II? What data residency options exist for EU projects?

See our detailed CloudFactory review.

Scale AI

Scale AI offers the broadest service range on this list: annotation, RLHF, model evaluation, fine-tuning, and the Donovan government platform. Certifications cover SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. 

240,000+ contract annotators work through Remotasks (CV) and Outlier (LLM), primarily in the Philippines and India. Their standard contract states data may be processed in the US or wherever contractors operate.

For EU-regulated projects, the combination of a contract-based global workforce and US-centric operations means transfer mechanisms deserve close scrutiny.

Best for: Enterprise teams that need end-to-end AI data services from a single vendor and can manage cross-border transfer complexity.

Delivery model: Managed service + platform. Global contract workforce.

Ask before signing: Request the DPA upfront (it’s not publicly posted). Confirm exactly where your data will be processed. Clarify deletion timelines and audit rights.

You can also read our full Scale AI review. For a broader comparison, see our breakdown of Scale AI competitors.

Appen

Appen fields a global crowd across 170+ countries and 235+ languages. SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and HIPAA compliance are in place, alongside stated GDPR alignment. ISO 27001-accredited Secure Workspaces add monitoring and access controls for sensitive projects.

Two things to weigh. The crowd model delivers unmatched linguistic diversity but less granular control over who touches data. That matters for GDPR Article 9 special category data like biometrics or health records. 

Appen has also gone through significant financial restructuring recently. Long-term partnership stability deserves scrutiny before signing a multi-year engagement.

Best for: Large multilingual programs where language coverage across 235+ languages outweighs the need for tight workforce control.

Delivery model: Crowd-based with secure workspace options. Enterprise custom pricing.

Ask before signing: Request financial stability references. Which Secure Workspace tier applies to your project? Confirm DPA terms and the subprocessor list.

We cover the vendor in depth in our dedicated Appen company review. 

Cogito Tech

Cogito Tech holds SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and ISO 9001 and states GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA compliance. The company operates specialized Innovation Hubs for healthcare (radiologist-supervised), automotive, and finance. Around 900-1,000 employees work from a primary delivery center in Delhi NCR.

The team works across Labelbox, CVAT, V7, and SuperAnnotate. The India-based delivery model keeps costs lower than most providers on this list, but it also means EU data transfers require SCCs or equivalent mechanisms for every engagement.

Best for: Mid-market teams that need domain-specific annotation with compliance certifications at a smaller scale than enterprise-focused providers.

Delivery model: Managed service. Project-based pricing.

Ask before signing: What transfer mechanisms cover EU personal data processed in India? Which Innovation Hub handles your project, and what facility-level controls apply?

Humans in the Loop

Humans in the Loop operates from Sofia, Bulgaria — inside the EU. No cross-border transfers, no SCCs needed, and no Chapter V complexity. For teams building regulated AI products in Europe, this eliminates the transfer overhead every other provider on this list carries.

The company publishes a detailed privacy policy covering privacy by design, transfer safeguards, and breach notification. The workforce employs refugees and conflict-affected people, an impact-sourcing approach similar to Sama but EU-based.

This is the smallest provider on the list. Capacity is limited. Formal certifications like ISO 27001 and SOC 2 are not confirmed on their website. Smaller scale comes with tighter control over who accesses your data but less documented AI data compliance infrastructure.

Best for: EU teams that want annotation processed entirely within the EU and can verify compliance through direct engagement rather than certifications.

Delivery model: Managed service. Smaller-scale projects.

Ask before signing: Confirm capacity for your volume and timeline. What formal certifications do they hold? Request the DPA and subprocessor list.

Read our Humans in the Loop review to learn more about the company.

GDPR doesn’t prohibit outsourcing annotation, but it doesn’t lower your AI data compliance bar either. You need the same level of control and accountability as if you were doing it internally.

Edith Forestal Founder & Cybersecurity Specialist, Forestal Security

How to Choose the Right GDPR-Compliant Data Labeling Provider

There is no official “GDPR certification.” A data annotation company supports GDPR compliance when it can deliver the data protection AI projects require: signed processor terms and security measures proportionate to risk.

Four things narrow the shortlist.

The contract

Request the DPA first. It should reference Article 28, name subprocessors, set 72-hour breach notification, grant audit rights, and cover data deletion at contract end.

Where data goes

EU personal data processed outside the EU/EEA needs a transfer mechanism: SCCs or the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. Providers with EU operations reduce this risk.

Who touches your data

Full-time employees in secure facilities give stronger data labeling security than remote crowd models. For Article 9 special categories like biometrics and health data, the workforce model is the highest-risk surface in your pipeline.

The evidence

ISO 27001 confirms an audited security system. SOC 2 Type II confirms controls held up over months (stronger than point-in-time Type I). ISO 27701 adds GDPR-mapped privacy controls. But no certification tells you whether a vendor will actually delete your data on request. Ask for the trust center, subprocessor list, and incident response plan.

Best GDPR Compliant Data Labeling Providers by Use Case

Use this table to match your use case to the right provider instead of comparing vendors blindly.

If you need a GDPR compliant AI data labeling provider with PCI DSS Level 1 security, ISO 27001 certification, EU workforce availability, and deep expertise in computer vision, 3D, and autonomous vehicle data, our team can help. 

Request a free pilot to test our secure data annotation quality before committing.

About Label Your Data

If you choose to delegate data labeling, run a free data pilot with Label Your Data. Our outsourcing strategy has helped many companies scale their ML projects. Here’s why:

No Commitment

Check our performance based on a free trial

Flexible Pricing

Pay per labeled object or per annotation hour

Tool-Agnostic

Working with every annotation tool, even your custom tools

Data Compliance

Work with a data-certified vendor: PCI DSS Level 1, ISO:2700, GDPR, CCPA

FAQ

What is a GDPR-compliant data labeling provider?

A GDPR-compliant data labeling provider processes personal data under a signed Data Processing Agreement (DPA), uses role-based access controls and secure environments, and applies valid transfer mechanisms (such as SCCs or the EU–US Data Privacy Framework) when data leaves the EU.

It must also provide evidence of compliance through audit logs, subprocessor disclosures, and clearly defined data deletion procedures.

What happens if my data labeling vendor isn’t GDPR compliant?

As the data controller, you’re responsible for choosing a processor that provides secure data annotation and sufficient guarantees under Article 28. If your vendor mishandles personal data during annotation, regulators will look at your due diligence first. Fines can reach €20 million or 4% of global annual turnover, whichever is higher.

Can I use a non-EU data labeling provider for GDPR-regulated projects?

Yes, but the data transfer needs a legal basis. Standard Contractual Clauses are the most common mechanism. Some US-based providers also certify under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. 

Either way, confirm the transfer mechanism in writing before any personal data leaves the EU/EEA.

Is ISO 27001 enough to consider a data labeling provider GDPR compliant?

ISO 27001 confirms a security management system is in place, but it doesn’t cover GDPR-specific requirements like data subject rights, lawful basis for processing, or breach notification timelines. 

A provider also needs a signed DPA, subprocessor transparency, and documented deletion procedures. ISO 27701 is the certification that adds GDPR-mapped privacy controls on top of ISO 27001.