When you use an online teaching platform, student data has to be stored somewhere. The physical location of those servers — and the legal jurisdiction they fall under — matters more than you might think.
The Data Transfer Problem
GDPR restricts transferring personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA) unless adequate protections are in place. When you use a US-based platform, your student data is often transferred to and stored in the United States.
This isn't illegal, but it creates compliance requirements. You need to ensure proper safeguards exist for international data transfers. The legal landscape for EU-US data transfers has been unstable, with multiple frameworks being invalidated by European courts.
For educational institutions — especially those working with children — this uncertainty creates risk.
What EU Hosting Provides
When your platform hosts data within the EU:
No international transfer concerns: Data stays within the EEA, eliminating the need for additional transfer mechanisms and the legal uncertainty they bring.
GDPR applies directly: The platform is directly subject to European data protection law, not just contractually bound to follow it.
European regulatory oversight: Data protection authorities can exercise jurisdiction directly over the platform operator.
Simpler compliance documentation: You don't need to document and justify international transfers in your records of processing activities.
Practical Implications for Schools
Parent communication: Explaining that student data stays in Europe is simpler than explaining international data transfer mechanisms. "Your child's data is stored in the Netherlands" is clearer than "we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses for EU-US data transfers."
Reduced due diligence: Evaluating an EU-hosted platform requires less legal analysis than ensuring a non-EU platform has adequate transfer mechanisms in place.
Future-proofing: International data transfer rules may change. EU hosting is unaffected by changes to transfer mechanisms.
Institutional requirements: Some schools, universities, and public institutions have policies requiring EU data hosting. Using EU-hosted platforms avoids special approval processes.
Recording and Video Data
Data hosting matters especially for session recordings. Recorded video files are:
- Large (meaning they're expensive to transfer and store)
- Biometric (faces and voices are sensitive personal data)
- Persistent (they exist long after the session ends)
Knowing that these recordings remain on EU servers, subject to EU law, provides clearer accountability than navigating international arrangements.
US Platforms and Compliance
To be clear: using US-based platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams isn't inherently non-compliant. These companies have mechanisms in place to enable lawful EU-US data transfers.
However, compliance requires:
- Understanding what transfer mechanism is being used
- Ensuring proper Data Processing Agreements are in place
- Documenting transfers in your compliance records
- Monitoring for changes to the legal framework
For large organizations with legal teams, this is manageable. For a tutoring center focused on teaching, it's administrative overhead that EU hosting eliminates.
Choosing Based on Data Location
When evaluating platforms for your tutoring institution or language school, ask specifically:
- Where are your servers physically located?
- Where is video data stored, especially recordings?
- Is there an option to ensure data stays in the EU?
- What happens to data residency if you expand to higher tiers?
Simpleclass is a Dutch company. Our servers are in the Netherlands and France. Student data — including session recordings — never leaves the European Union. Combined with our GDPR compliance features, this makes data protection straightforward.
The Bottom Line
EU data hosting doesn't make compliance automatic, but it removes a significant layer of complexity. For educational institutions handling sensitive student data — especially data about minors — that simplification has real value.
As you evaluate platform options, consider data location alongside features and pricing. It's one less thing to worry about.