GDPR-compliant is one of the most misused phrases in tech. A real GDPR-compliant social network is built around five things: a lawful basis for processing, EU data residency, transparent consent, full data export and deletion, and security by design. Most major US social platforms fail at least two of these. Here is the checklist — and what an EU-built alternative looks like.
Treat any platform that fails one of these as not actually compliant — regardless of what their cookie banner says.
Meta has been fined repeatedly by the Irish DPC for transfer and consent violations. TikTok has faced enforcement on minor data and EU-to-China transfers. X/Twitter has faced GDPR complaints on training AI with user data without consent. The pattern is the same: built first, retrofitted for EU law under regulator pressure.
Safegram is built in Dublin, Ireland — inside the EU — by Safegram Ltd. GDPR isn't a retrofit. Data is processed in the EU. Consent is granular. DMs are end-to-end encrypted so we cannot read them even if asked. Users can export or delete everything in a few taps. Children under 13 are not permitted. There is no resale of personal data.
A lawful basis for every processing activity, EU data residency or adequate safeguards, transparent and granular consent, a working right to data export and deletion, and privacy by design under Article 25 — including encryption of private messages.
Meta has been fined repeatedly by the Irish Data Protection Commission for GDPR violations on Instagram and Facebook — including invalid consent for behavioural advertising and unlawful EU-to-US data transfers. Compliance has been retrofitted under regulator pressure.
Safegram is built in Dublin, Ireland and operated under EU law. Mastodon servers can be EU-hosted depending on the operator. Most other major social apps are headquartered and built in the US or China.
Not explicitly, but Article 25 (privacy by design) and Article 32 (security of processing) effectively require strong protection of personal data — and for private messages, end-to-end encryption is the highest practical standard.
Privacy-first social and a verified marketplace, built in Dublin. Free on iPhone and Android.
