OpenAI expands data residency options for enterprise users

OpenAI has broadened its data residency offerings, allowing ChatGPT Enterprise and Education customers to store and manage their data—including chat logs, uploaded files, custom GPTs, and generated images—in specific regions to comply with local laws.

Available regions now include the U.S., Canada, the UK, the European Economic Area (plus Switzerland), Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia, and the UAE, with more to be added gradually. The feature builds on OpenAI’s initial rollout in Europe earlier this year, a key step toward meeting strict GDPR requirements.

While static data can now reside in selected regions, inference (real-time AI processing) still occurs exclusively in the U.S., according to OpenAI’s documentation. API enterprise users can enable data residency by creating new projects and selecting a region; workspace-level controls are also available for non-API customers.

The move addresses long-standing compliance concerns for global companies previously forced to route all data through U.S.-based systems, risking violations of local data protection laws.

OpenAI cautioned, however, that third-party connectors or integrations—such as those used in its Company Knowledge feature—may override regional settings, potentially limiting data residency to the U.S. depending on the tool.

“With over 1 million enterprise customers worldwide, we’re expanding data residency to help organizations meet local regulatory and data protection requirements,” OpenAI said in a blog post.