Data residency
Data residency is the requirement that data be stored and processed within a specific geography, such as keeping EU users' session recordings on EU infrastructure. Because recordings are personal data, replay pipelines inherit whatever residency obligations apply to the rest of an organization's user data.
How it works
Residency is an architecture property, set by where ingest endpoints, storage, replay serving, support access, and analysis run. Keeping EU recordings on EU infrastructure can reduce the number of international transfers, but storage location does not settle the analysis by itself. Remote access from a third country, subprocessors, backups, and onward processing can still create transfer questions. The EDPB's international-transfer guidance explains the available mechanisms and safeguards. Self-hosting gives a team direct control over these locations and access paths; the self-hosted session replay guide covers the operational trade-offs. Managed offerings should document region selection, support access, subprocessors, and transfer mechanisms together.
Where you encounter it
Vendor due diligence, DPAs, procurement security questionnaires, and architecture reviews for regulated industries.