Sovereignty Scan/Vendors/Smartlook

Risk indicator, not a GDPR compliance verdict. Point-in-time assessment based on public web stack signals.Methodology & LimitationsCorrect listing / submit response

Session Replay

Smartlook : Datenschutz, & EU Alternatives

Smartlook is subject to US law (CLOUD Act / FISA 702). GDPR-compliant use is only possible with a valid DPA, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and a Transfer Impact Assessment (TIA). For sensitive data, an EU alternative is the more robust choice.

🇺🇸USAUS-Jurisdiktion

Last checked: 29 April 2026

Is Smartlook GDPR compliant?

Vendor Profile

Who is the contractual partner?

Jurisdiction

USA

Hosting

AWS EU

Owner

Cisco (Smartlook)🇺🇸

Sovereignty Level: Level 0 of 4

US-Anbieter, US-Server. Voller CLOUD-Act-Zugriff. Bei jedem Schrems-Urteil fällt das Tool um.

Level0
Level1
Level2
Level3
Level4

The five levels, from US-SaaS (Level 0) to fully sovereign (Level 4), we explain in detail here.

Contract & Subprocessor Chain

1.Cisco Systems Inc. (US, übernommen 2024)
2.Smartsupp.com s.r.o. (Tschechien, ehemalig)

Even if the main provider is based in the EU, a US subprocessor in this chain can trigger a third-country transfer. This is the core pitfall of .

Data Categories

What data does Smartlook process?

In typical use, the following data categories arise. Which ones are relevant for you depends on your setup and scope of use.

Full session recordings (mouse, keyboard, clicks)
Attention heatmaps per page
Form input content (unless actively masked)
Device and browser data

Data Subjects

Who is affected by the processing?

Under Art. 30 GDPR, you must document the categories of data subjects per processing activity. In typical use, these include:

All website visitors with full session recording
For form inputs: their content in plain text (unless masked)

Concrete Impact

What does this mean in practice?

Full recordings of all clicks, scrolls and text inputs (including personal data, unless actively masked) are stored with a US provider.

Note: This is a risk description, not a specific incident. Whether access occurred in your case depends on many factors. What can be documented: the risk must be named in your TIA and mitigated with additional measures.

GDPR-compliant providers

EU alternatives to Smartlook

Providers based in the EU or EEA. No third-country transfer, simpler DPA situation, TIA generally not required.

Contentsquare

🇫🇷

Französischer Anbieter (Hotjar gehört dazu).

Switch in ~14 days

AB Tasty

🇫🇷

Experimentation and personalisation

Capturly

🇭🇺

Heatmaps and session replay

Hotjar

🇲🇹

Hotjar ist ein Website-Analyse-Tool aus Malta. Sie bieten visuelle Methoden zur Entdeckung, Konsolidierung und Kommunikation von Nutzerbedürfnissen und verschiedene Funktionen, wie Heatmaps, Aufzeichnungen und Umfragen.

Matomo

🇪🇺

Matomo ist ein open-source Webanalysedienst, der selbst gehostet werden kann. Das Unternehmen, das hinter Matomo steht, kommt aus Neuseeland.

Migration Plan

How to migrate away from Smartlook

The following steps are the typical path for this tool category. Order and time required depend on your specific setup.

1
Migration plan depends heavily on your specific setup. We recommend a 30-min consultation.

We help with migration planning at no cost: 30 minutes with a data protection specialist to prioritise and define a migration sprint. Book appointment

Frequently Asked Questions

Smartlook & Privacy: FAQ

Is Smartlook GDPR-compliant?

Smartlook can be used in a GDPR-compliant way if a valid DPA is in place, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are signed, and a Transfer Impact Assessment (TIA) has been conducted. However, the provider is headquartered in the US (Cisco (Smartlook)), so the CLOUD Act and FISA 702 continue to apply. This is true even when data is stored in an EU data centre. For sensitive data or strict oversight (public authorities, healthcare, large corporates), switching to an EU provider is often preferred.

Who is the contractual partner for Smartlook?

The contract chain includes: Cisco Systems Inc. (US, übernommen 2024) · Smartsupp.com s.r.o. (Tschechien, ehemalig). The legal parent entity is decisive for data protection. Even if an EU subsidiary signs the DPA, a US subprocessor in the chain can trigger third-country transfer obligations.

What EU alternatives are there to Smartlook?

There are several GDPR-compliant EU alternatives. They are listed under "EU Alternatives" on this page. The selection is tailored to the feature set of Smartlook (Session-Replay). meetergo covers the core workflow and can fully replace Smartlook in many cases.

Where is Smartlook data stored?

According to provider information: AWS EU. Note: even an EU data centre does not protect against the CLOUD Act when the parent company is in the US. This is the core finding of the Schrems II decision.

What does the CLOUD Act mean for Smartlook users?

The US CLOUD Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act, 2018) allows US authorities to request data from US companies regardless of the physical storage location. If Cisco (Smartlook) is subject to the CLOUD Act, US law enforcement could theoretically access Smartlook data stored in Frankfurt without involving EU authorities. The EDPB Recommendations 01/2020 therefore require additional safeguards or a switch to an EU provider.

Do I need a TIA for Smartlook?

Yes, in most cases. Since Schrems II (July 2020), a Transfer Impact Assessment is mandatory for US providers when personal data is transferred. The TIA documents US law, practical risks (NSA access, subpoenas) and additional measures (encryption, pseudonymisation). Only a valid TIA makes the use of Smartlook legally defensible.

How much effort is involved in switching away from Smartlook?

Migration effort depends on your specific setup: typically between a few business days (booking, forms) and several weeks (CRM, hosting). The roadmap below shows the typical order.

Related Vendors

More tools in Session Replay

Next Step

Which tools are running on your website?

60 seconds, no login: the Sovereignty Scan shows all detected vendors with jurisdiction, risk, and matching EU alternatives.

To the Scan Methodology

Note

Hinweis

Risiko-Indikator, keine Rechtsberatung.

Der Sovereignty Scan wertet öffentlich erreichbare Signale aus (HTML der Startseite und Rechtsseiten, DNS-, MX-, SPF- und ASN-Daten) und vergleicht sie mit unserer Datenbank von ca. 3.000 Anbietern. Die Zuordnung von Tool zu Eigentümer und Jurisdiktion basiert auf öffentlichen Quellen (Impressum, Datenschutzerklärung, Wappalyzer, RIPE/ARIN-Registrierungen) und ist als Erstindikation zum Stichtag der Auswertung gedacht, nicht als rechtsverbindliche Bewertung.

Die Note A–E ist ein Risiko-Indikator, kein DSGVO-Konformitätsurteil. Für eine konkrete DSGVO-Bewertung, insbesondere für Auftragsverarbeitungsverträge (AVV/DPA), Standardvertragsklauseln (SCC) und Transfer Impact Assessments (TIA), wenden Sie sich bitte an Ihren Datenschutzbeauftragten oder eine externe Rechtsberatung. meetergo trifft keine Aussage darüber, ob ein konkreter Anbieter in einem konkreten Anwendungsfall DSGVO-konform eingesetzt werden kann.

Korrektur & Stellungnahme: Wenn Sie Domain-Inhaber, Datenschutzbeauftragter oder Pressestelle der bewerteten Domain sind und die hier gezeigten Signale nicht Ihrer aktuellen Tool-Konfiguration entsprechen, nehmen wir Korrekturen auf und passen die Anzeige nach Prüfung umgehend an.

Methodik & Grenzen Listing korrigieren / Stellungnahme einreichen