Machine Translation: Does Your Company Truly Control Its Sensitive Data?

In 2025, digital sovereignty remains a critical issue for European businesses. With the widespread adoption of remote work, the explosion of international exchanges, and the rise of artificial intelligence tools, the use of machine translation solutions has become ubiquitous. However, these technologies are not without risks to the security and confidentiality of sensitive data.

Why Does Machine Translation Pose a Problem for Data Sovereignty?

The massive use of tools like Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, or DeepL in cloud mode raises significant legal and security concerns. When you submit a text for translation to these services, it is sent to servers that may be subject to foreign jurisdictions, particularly U.S. laws.

Even if these servers are physically located in Europe, certain extraterritorial laws—such as the U.S. CLOUD Act and Section 702 of the FISA—allow U.S. authorities to access this data, sometimes without prior notification.

The direct consequence: your company loses effective control over its confidential, strategic, or commercial data.

Moreover, many machine translation providers use the submitted data to train and improve their language models. This means your content—sometimes strategic, confidential, or protected by intellectual property rights—can be used without your control unless strict guarantees are in place regarding non-storage, confidentiality, and respect for intellectual property rights.

By contrast, some European solutions guarantee they will never store or reuse your data, complying fully with GDPR requirements and the expectations for sovereignty and confidentiality.

Concrete Risks: Industrial Espionage and Sensitive Data Leaks

Recent events demonstrate that these threats are not theoretical. Here are two notable examples:

January 2023: General Electric Engineer Convicted of Industrial Espionage
A former American employee was found guilty of attempting to transfer industrial secrets related to aircraft engines to competing Chinese firms. This case highlights the ease with which sensitive information can be intercepted and exploited.

March 2024: Major Cyberattack on a European Automotive Supplier
A leading German automotive company suffered a data breach linked to its electric vehicle projects after using a non-sovereign cloud solution. The breach was reportedly facilitated by a vulnerability tied to the automatic translation tool used for international communications.

These examples clearly show that the risks associated with cloud-based machine translation can have major economic impacts for European companies.

Legal Framework: What Changes Are Happening in Europe?

In response to these persistent threats, Europe has strengthened its regulatory framework:

1. The Data Act (effective January 2024)
This new regulation reinforces requirements around data sovereignty. Companies must actively verify where and how their sensitive data is processed—or face heavy financial penalties.

2. The AI Act (effective August 2024)
This regulation targets high-risk AI systems, including advanced machine translation solutions. Companies must now systematically assess the risks, ensure compliance, and demonstrate full control over the generated data flows.

Failing to comply exposes companies to significant fines, up to 4% of global annual turnover, depending on the severity of the breach.

How to Ensure Data Sovereignty When Using Machine Translation

To navigate safely through this new environment, companies should follow four key recommendations:

Choose Certified Sovereign Solutions
Favor European providers with infrastructure certified by standards like SecNumCloud. These certifications guarantee that data will not leave European jurisdiction.

Evaluate the Compliance of Translation Tools
Conduct regular audits of your machine translation solutions to ensure compliance with Data Act, AI Act, and GDPR.

Train Employees to Reduce Shadow IT
Internal users often use unauthorized tools, creating vulnerabilities. Regularly train employees on the security risks of uncontrolled use of online translation services.

Digital Sovereignty: An Opportunity Rather Than a Constraint

Digital sovereignty should not be viewed as a burden but as a strategic opportunity. By regaining control over sensitive data, companies strengthen trust with business partners, clients, and regulators, while protecting their competitive advantage.

Recent cases of industrial espionage show that companies ignoring these issues risk significant financial, commercial, and reputational damage.

Act Today to Secure Your Data for Tomorrow

As digital sovereignty becomes a top priority in Europe, companies must anticipate these issues now. CIOs, Compliance Officers, and Digital Officers must collaborate to build strong, proactive governance of sensitive data.

Mastering your digital sovereignty is now a major strategic asset. Make it a priority—and turn regulatory obligations into a competitive advantage.