Glean icon

Glean

Enterprise AI search that connects and searches all company knowledge with strict access controls

vs
Google NotebookLM icon

Google NotebookLM

AI research assistant that reasons over your own documents and sources

Glean
64%Moderate
16/25
Google NotebookLM
68%Strong
17/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionGleanGoogle NotebookLM
Data Residency
Where is your data stored and processed?
Glean: AWS-hosted with US and EU options; data residency configurations available for regulated industries on request; permission-enforcement architecture prevents cross-tenant data exposure
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.
3/5
3/5
Legal Jurisdiction
Which laws govern the company and your data?
Glean: US Delaware corporation subject to US jurisdiction and CLOUD Act; DPAs available for GDPR; Capital One Ventures as investor may raise considerations for some financial services organisations
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.
2/5
2/5
Data Retention & Training
Is your data used for model training?
Glean: Customer data not used to train foundational AI models; strict permission mirroring ensures data is only surfaced to authorised users; comprehensive audit logs and configurable retention policies
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.
4/5
4/5
Certifications
ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.
Glean: SOC 2 Type II certified; HIPAA BAA available; GDPR compliant with DPA; no ISO 27001 publicly confirmed
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.
3/5
5/5
Regulatory Fit
Suitability for regulated industries and professional services
Glean: Permission-enforcement architecture, HIPAA BAA, audit logs, and data residency options make Glean well-suited to large regulated enterprises; US jurisdiction is the primary limitation for EU-sovereignty-focused buyers
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.
4/5
3/5
Total Score
16/25
17/25

Best For

Glean iconGlean

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls.

Google NotebookLM iconGoogle NotebookLM

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.

Detailed Comparison

Glean vs Google NotebookLM: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Glean (Glean, US) scores 16/25 overall with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. Enterprise AI search that connects and searches all company knowledge with strict access controls. 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

Both score equally at 3/5.

Glean (3/5): AWS-hosted with US and EU options; data residency configurations available for regulated industries on request; permission-enforcement architecture prevents cross-tenant data exposure
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

Both score equally at 2/5.

Glean (2/5): US Delaware corporation subject to US jurisdiction and CLOUD Act; DPAs available for GDPR; Capital One Ventures as investor may raise considerations for some financial services organisations
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.

Glean (4/5): Customer data not used to train foundational AI models; strict permission mirroring ensures data is only surfaced to authorised users; comprehensive audit logs and configurable retention policies
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 3/5.

Glean (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certified; HIPAA BAA available; GDPR compliant with DPA; no ISO 27001 publicly confirmed
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

Glean leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

Glean (4/5): Permission-enforcement architecture, HIPAA BAA, audit logs, and data residency options make Glean well-suited to large regulated enterprises; US jurisdiction is the primary limitation for EU-sovereignty-focused buyers
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

CertificationGleanGoogle NotebookLM
C5NoYes
ISO 27001NoYes
ISO 27017NoYes
ISO 27018NoYes
SOC 2 Type IIYesYes

Overall Verdict

Glean and Google NotebookLM are closely matched on trust and compliance, with scores of 16/25 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, Glean or Google NotebookLM?

Glean has a TrustKit score of 16/25 while Google NotebookLM scores 17/25. Google NotebookLM currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Glean and Google NotebookLM compare on data residency?

Glean scores 3/5 for data residency (AWS-hosted with US and EU options; data residency configurations available for regulated industries on request; permission-enforcement architecture prevents cross-tenant data exposure), while Google NotebookLM scores 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.).

Are Glean and Google NotebookLM GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. Glean has a regulatory fit score of 4/5 and Google NotebookLM scores 3/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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