LightOn

Sovereign enterprise GenAI platform deployed on-prem, air-gapped, or EU cloud

OpenAI API

API platform for GPT, DALL-E, Whisper and other foundation models

LightOn

Excellent

22/25

OpenAI API

Moderate

14/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionLightOnOpenAI API

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

LightOn: Deploys on-premise, in customer VPC, or air-gapped on EU infrastructure, so data never leaves the customer's own security perimeter. Strongest possible residency posture.

OpenAI API: All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.

5/5

Deploys on-premise, in customer VPC, or air-gapped on EU infrastructure, so data never leaves the customer's own security perimeter. Strongest possible residency posture.

2/5

All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

LightOn: French SA incorporated in France, listed on Euronext Growth Paris, with no US parent. Fully under EU/French jurisdiction.

OpenAI API: US Delaware LLC subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. Offers GDPR-compliant DPA for EU customers, but legal entity is solely US-based.

5/5

French SA incorporated in France, listed on Euronext Growth Paris, with no US parent. Fully under EU/French jurisdiction.

2/5

US Delaware LLC subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. Offers GDPR-compliant DPA for EU customers, but legal entity is solely US-based.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

LightOn: In-perimeter deployment means no customer data is sent out or used to train shared models, and retention is governed by the customer's own infrastructure. Scored 4 rather than 5 as public DPA/retention-control documentation is limited.

OpenAI API: API data not used for model training by default. Zero data retention option available. Clear data retention policies documented. Abuse monitoring data retained for 30 days.

4/5

In-perimeter deployment means no customer data is sent out or used to train shared models, and retention is governed by the customer's own infrastructure. Scored 4 rather than 5 as public DPA/retention-control documentation is limited.

4/5

API data not used for model training by default. Zero data retention option available. Clear data retention policies documented. Abuse monitoring data retained for 30 days.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

LightOn: Holds SOC 2 Type 1. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II are not confirmed in published sources, and ANSSI SecNumCloud appears to be a positioning goal rather than a confirmed qualification.

OpenAI API: SOC 2 Type II certified. GDPR DPA available. No ISO 27001 or C5 certification publicly disclosed.

3/5

Holds SOC 2 Type 1. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II are not confirmed in published sources, and ANSSI SecNumCloud appears to be a positioning goal rather than a confirmed qualification.

3/5

SOC 2 Type II certified. GDPR DPA available. No ISO 27001 or C5 certification publicly disclosed.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

LightOn: Purpose-built for regulated and sovereign EU buyers, with public-sector and defense/aerospace references (CNES, Safran, French tax authority) and GDPR/AI Act alignment.

OpenAI API: Suitable for many business use cases with appropriate DPA. Enterprise tier offers enhanced compliance. Not ideal for highly regulated EU industries requiring data sovereignty.

5/5

Purpose-built for regulated and sovereign EU buyers, with public-sector and defense/aerospace references (CNES, Safran, French tax authority) and GDPR/AI Act alignment.

3/5

Suitable for many business use cases with appropriate DPA. Enterprise tier offers enhanced compliance. Not ideal for highly regulated EU industries requiring data sovereignty.

Total Score

22/25

14/25

Best For

LightOn

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; regulated industries (CNIL, AMF); privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; organisations that need self-hosted or on-premise deployment.

OpenAI API

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

Detailed Comparison

LightOn vs OpenAI API: Trust & Compliance Comparison

LightOn (LightOn, FR) scores 22/25 overall with a Gold (Excellent) trust badge. Sovereign enterprise GenAI platform deployed on-prem, air-gapped, or EU cloud. OpenAI API (OpenAI, US) scores 14/25 with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. API platform for GPT, DALL-E, Whisper and other foundation models.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

LightOn leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●LightOn (5/5): Deploys on-premise, in customer VPC, or air-gapped on EU infrastructure, so data never leaves the customer's own security perimeter. Strongest possible residency posture.

●OpenAI API (2/5): All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

LightOn leads with 5/5 vs 2/5.

●LightOn (5/5): French SA incorporated in France, listed on Euronext Growth Paris, with no US parent. Fully under EU/French jurisdiction.

●OpenAI API (2/5): US Delaware LLC subject to US jurisdiction including CLOUD Act. Offers GDPR-compliant DPA for EU customers, but legal entity is solely US-based.

#### Data Retention & Training

Both score equally at 4/5.

●LightOn (4/5): In-perimeter deployment means no customer data is sent out or used to train shared models, and retention is governed by the customer's own infrastructure. Scored 4 rather than 5 as public DPA/retention-control documentation is limited.

●OpenAI API (4/5): API data not used for model training by default. Zero data retention option available. Clear data retention policies documented. Abuse monitoring data retained for 30 days.

#### Certifications

Both score equally at 3/5.

●LightOn (3/5): Holds SOC 2 Type 1. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II are not confirmed in published sources, and ANSSI SecNumCloud appears to be a positioning goal rather than a confirmed qualification.

●OpenAI API (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certified. GDPR DPA available. No ISO 27001 or C5 certification publicly disclosed.

#### Regulatory Fit

LightOn leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●LightOn (5/5): Purpose-built for regulated and sovereign EU buyers, with public-sector and defense/aerospace references (CNES, Safran, French tax authority) and GDPR/AI Act alignment.

●OpenAI API (3/5): Suitable for many business use cases with appropriate DPA. Enterprise tier offers enhanced compliance. Not ideal for highly regulated EU industries requiring data sovereignty.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	LightOn	OpenAI API
GDPR DPA	No	Yes
SOC 2 Type 1	Yes	No
SOC 2 Type II	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

LightOn has a clear trust advantage, scoring 22/25 compared to OpenAI API's 14/25. LightOn particularly excels in data residency, legal jurisdiction, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, LightOn or OpenAI API?

LightOn has a TrustKit score of 22/25 while OpenAI API scores 14/25. LightOn currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do LightOn and OpenAI API compare on data residency?

LightOn scores 5/5 for data residency (Deploys on-premise, in customer VPC, or air-gapped on EU infrastructure, so data never leaves the customer's own security perimeter. Strongest possible residency posture.), while OpenAI API scores 2/5 (All data processed on US-based Microsoft Azure infrastructure. No EU data residency option available. Enterprise customers cannot choose hosting region.).

Are LightOn and OpenAI API GDPR compliant?

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

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