Google NotebookLM

AI research assistant that reasons over your own documents and sources

Capacities

German AI-powered knowledge management and note-taking for connected thinking

Google NotebookLM

Strong

17/25

Capacities

Strong

17/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionGoogle NotebookLMCapacities

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Google NotebookLM: Free tier uses US data centres. Enterprise Workspace customers can select EU data regions, providing compliant data residency for European businesses. Consumer accounts have limited regional controls.

Capacities: Core data hosted in Germany; AI features route through OpenAI with zero-retention API option

3/5

Free tier uses US data centres. Enterprise Workspace customers can select EU data regions, providing compliant data residency for European businesses. Consumer accounts have limited regional controls.

4/5

Core data hosted in Germany; AI features route through OpenAI with zero-retention API option

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Google NotebookLM: Google LLC is incorporated in Delaware, US. Subject to the CLOUD Act. Google has signed SCCs and model DPAs for enterprise Workspace customers, providing some mitigation, but US jurisdiction remains a fundamental risk.

Capacities: German GmbH, EU-incorporated, no US parent entity, German law applies

2/5

Google LLC is incorporated in Delaware, US. Subject to the CLOUD Act. Google has signed SCCs and model DPAs for enterprise Workspace customers, providing some mitigation, but US jurisdiction remains a fundamental risk.

5/5

German GmbH, EU-incorporated, no US parent entity, German law applies

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Google NotebookLM: Enterprise Workspace accounts: notebooks and data not used for model training under DPA. Configurable retention and deletion. Free consumer accounts: less certain. Enterprise controls are significantly stronger.

Capacities: No training on user data; AI layer uses OpenAI zero-retention API; core data under customer control

4/5

Enterprise Workspace accounts: notebooks and data not used for model training under DPA. Configurable retention and deletion. Free consumer accounts: less certain. Enterprise controls are significantly stronger.

4/5

No training on user data; AI layer uses OpenAI zero-retention API; core data under customer control

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Google NotebookLM: Google's cloud infrastructure holds ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 2 Type II, and BSI C5 (Germany). Among the most comprehensively certified cloud providers. NotebookLM for Business inherits these certifications via Workspace.

Capacities: GDPR-compliant with DPA available; no ISO 27001 or SOC 2 as a small bootstrapped team

5/5

Google's cloud infrastructure holds ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 2 Type II, and BSI C5 (Germany). Among the most comprehensively certified cloud providers. NotebookLM for Business inherits these certifications via Workspace.

1/5

GDPR-compliant with DPA available; no ISO 27001 or SOC 2 as a small bootstrapped team

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Google NotebookLM: Enterprise Workspace deployment with EU data region provides an acceptable compliance posture for most EU businesses. For regulated industries (financial services, healthcare), additional due diligence on Google's CLOUD Act exposure is required.

Capacities: Good for EU professionals and SMEs; limited enterprise controls restrict regulated-sector suitability

3/5

Enterprise Workspace deployment with EU data region provides an acceptable compliance posture for most EU businesses. For regulated industries (financial services, healthcare), additional due diligence on Google's CLOUD Act exposure is required.

3/5

Good for EU professionals and SMEs; limited enterprise controls restrict regulated-sector suitability

Total Score

17/25

Best For

Google NotebookLM

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; teams on a tight budget.

Capacities

Best for organisations requiring broad certification coverage (ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018); privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; teams on a tight budget; enterprises requiring SSO integration.

Detailed Comparison

Capacities vs Google NotebookLM: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Capacities (Capacities, DE) scores 17/25 overall with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. German AI-powered knowledge management and note-taking for connected thinking. Google NotebookLM (Google, US) scores 17/25 with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. AI research assistant that reasons over your own documents and sources.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Capacities leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●Capacities (4/5): Core data hosted in Germany; AI features route through OpenAI with zero-retention API option

●Google NotebookLM (3/5): Free tier uses US data centres. Enterprise Workspace customers can select EU data regions, providing compliant data residency for European businesses. Consumer accounts have limited regional controls.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Capacities leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●Capacities (5/5): German GmbH, EU-incorporated, no US parent entity, German law applies

●Google NotebookLM (2/5): Google LLC is incorporated in Delaware, US. Subject to the CLOUD Act. Google has signed SCCs and model DPAs for enterprise Workspace customers, providing some mitigation, but US jurisdiction remains a fundamental risk.

#### Data Retention & Training

Both score equally at 4/5.

●Capacities (4/5): No training on user data; AI layer uses OpenAI zero-retention API; core data under customer control

●Google NotebookLM (4/5): Enterprise Workspace accounts: notebooks and data not used for model training under DPA. Configurable retention and deletion. Free consumer accounts: less certain. Enterprise controls are significantly stronger.

#### Certifications

Google NotebookLM leads with 5/5 vs 1/5.

●Capacities (1/5): GDPR-compliant with DPA available; no ISO 27001 or SOC 2 as a small bootstrapped team

●Google NotebookLM (5/5): Google's cloud infrastructure holds ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, SOC 2 Type II, and BSI C5 (Germany). Among the most comprehensively certified cloud providers. NotebookLM for Business inherits these certifications via Workspace.

#### Regulatory Fit

Both score equally at 3/5.

●Capacities (3/5): Good for EU professionals and SMEs; limited enterprise controls restrict regulated-sector suitability

●Google NotebookLM (3/5): Enterprise Workspace deployment with EU data region provides an acceptable compliance posture for most EU businesses. For regulated industries (financial services, healthcare), additional due diligence on Google's CLOUD Act exposure is required.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Capacities	Google NotebookLM
C5	No	Yes
GDPR	Yes	No
ISO 27001	No	Yes
ISO 27017	No	Yes
ISO 27018	No	Yes
SOC 2 Type II	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

Capacities and Google NotebookLM are closely matched on trust and compliance, with scores of 17/25 and 17/25 respectively. The right choice depends on your specific regulatory requirements and existing technology stack.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Google NotebookLM or Capacities?

Google NotebookLM has a TrustKit score of 17/25 while Capacities scores 17/25. Both tools are currently rated equally across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Google NotebookLM and Capacities compare on data residency?

Google NotebookLM scores 3/5 for data residency (Free tier uses US data centres. Enterprise Workspace customers can select EU data regions, providing compliant data residency for European businesses. Consumer accounts have limited regional controls.), while Capacities scores 4/5 (Core data hosted in Germany; AI features route through OpenAI with zero-retention API option).

Are Google NotebookLM and Capacities GDPR compliant?

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

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