HappyScribe

European AI transcription and subtitling platform with EU data hosting

AssemblyAI

Speech AI API for transcription, understanding, and audio intelligence

HappyScribe

Strong

18/25

AssemblyAI

Moderate

13/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionHappyScribeAssemblyAI

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

HappyScribe: EU GDPR-compliant data hosting. Irish incorporation ensures EU jurisdiction. Audio and transcript data stays within EU infrastructure.

AssemblyAI: Audio data is processed on US infrastructure; no EU data region is available as a standard offering.

4/5

EU GDPR-compliant data hosting. Irish incorporation ensures EU jurisdiction. Audio and transcript data stays within EU infrastructure.

2/5

Audio data is processed on US infrastructure; no EU data region is available as a standard offering.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

HappyScribe: Irish Limited company under EU law. Full GDPR coverage. Ireland is an EU member state with strong data protection framework under the DPC.

AssemblyAI: US-incorporated under Delaware law and subject to CLOUD Act with limited EU-specific legal protections.

4/5

Irish Limited company under EU law. Full GDPR coverage. Ireland is an EU member state with strong data protection framework under the DPC.

2/5

US-incorporated under Delaware law and subject to CLOUD Act with limited EU-specific legal protections.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

HappyScribe: Training data practices not explicitly disclosed. SOC 2 Type II suggests formal data handling procedures. Audio data handling policies should be reviewed for sensitive content.

AssemblyAI: Does not train on customer audio by default; PII redaction available and data deletion controls provided.

3/5

Training data practices not explicitly disclosed. SOC 2 Type II suggests formal data handling procedures. Audio data handling policies should be reviewed for sensitive content.

4/5

Does not train on customer audio by default; PII redaction available and data deletion controls provided.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

HappyScribe: SOC 2 Type II certified—strong for a transcription service. Demonstrates formal security controls and independent audit. ISO 27001 would further strengthen the posture.

AssemblyAI: SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA compliance are in place; ISO 27001 certification is not currently listed.

4/5

SOC 2 Type II certified—strong for a transcription service. Demonstrates formal security controls and independent audit. ISO 27001 would further strengthen the posture.

3/5

SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA compliance are in place; ISO 27001 certification is not currently listed.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

HappyScribe: Good for general business use. SOC 2 and EU hosting support enterprise requirements. Not specifically designed for highly regulated industries but suitable for general compliance needs.

AssemblyAI: Requires substantial due diligence for EU regulated audio use cases; DPA available but US jurisdiction remains a concern.

3/5

Good for general business use. SOC 2 and EU hosting support enterprise requirements. Not specifically designed for highly regulated industries but suitable for general compliance needs.

2/5

Requires substantial due diligence for EU regulated audio use cases; DPA available but US jurisdiction remains a concern.

Total Score

18/25

13/25

Best For

HappyScribe

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; teams on a tight budget.

AssemblyAI

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; enterprises requiring SSO integration.

Detailed Comparison

AssemblyAI vs HappyScribe: Trust & Compliance Comparison

AssemblyAI (AssemblyAI, US) scores 13/25 overall with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. Speech AI API for transcription, understanding, and audio intelligence. HappyScribe (HappyScribe, ES) scores 18/25 with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. European AI transcription and subtitling platform with EU data hosting.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

HappyScribe leads with 4/5 vs 2/5.

●AssemblyAI (2/5): Audio data is processed on US infrastructure; no EU data region is available as a standard offering.

●HappyScribe (4/5): EU GDPR-compliant data hosting. Irish incorporation ensures EU jurisdiction. Audio and transcript data stays within EU infrastructure.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

HappyScribe leads with 4/5 vs 2/5.

●AssemblyAI (2/5): US-incorporated under Delaware law and subject to CLOUD Act with limited EU-specific legal protections.

●HappyScribe (4/5): Irish Limited company under EU law. Full GDPR coverage. Ireland is an EU member state with strong data protection framework under the DPC.

#### Data Retention & Training

AssemblyAI leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●AssemblyAI (4/5): Does not train on customer audio by default; PII redaction available and data deletion controls provided.

●HappyScribe (3/5): Training data practices not explicitly disclosed. SOC 2 Type II suggests formal data handling procedures. Audio data handling policies should be reviewed for sensitive content.

#### Certifications

HappyScribe leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●AssemblyAI (3/5): SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA compliance are in place; ISO 27001 certification is not currently listed.

●HappyScribe (4/5): SOC 2 Type II certified—strong for a transcription service. Demonstrates formal security controls and independent audit. ISO 27001 would further strengthen the posture.

#### Regulatory Fit

HappyScribe leads with 3/5 vs 2/5.

●AssemblyAI (2/5): Requires substantial due diligence for EU regulated audio use cases; DPA available but US jurisdiction remains a concern.

●HappyScribe (3/5): Good for general business use. SOC 2 and EU hosting support enterprise requirements. Not specifically designed for highly regulated industries but suitable for general compliance needs.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	AssemblyAI	HappyScribe
HIPAA	Yes	No
SOC 2 Type II	Yes	Yes

Overall Verdict

HappyScribe has a clear trust advantage, scoring 18/25 compared to AssemblyAI's 13/25. HappyScribe particularly excels in data residency, legal jurisdiction, certifications, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, HappyScribe or AssemblyAI?

HappyScribe has a TrustKit score of 18/25 while AssemblyAI scores 13/25. HappyScribe currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do HappyScribe and AssemblyAI compare on data residency?

HappyScribe scores 4/5 for data residency (EU GDPR-compliant data hosting. Irish incorporation ensures EU jurisdiction. Audio and transcript data stays within EU infrastructure.), while AssemblyAI scores 2/5 (Audio data is processed on US infrastructure; no EU data region is available as a standard offering.).

Are HappyScribe and AssemblyAI GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. HappyScribe has a regulatory fit score of 3/5 and AssemblyAI scores 2/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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