Team chat
Does Element store data in Canada?
Element (Matrix chat and calls) on Element Server Suite, self-hosted
If you host it yourself.
Element can run on servers you choose. Data stays in Canada only if you host it in Canada. Where it is processed: Wherever you run it. It is owned in United Kingdom, not Canada or the US.
Checked 2026-10-16 against the vendor's own pages.
The facts, claim by claim
- Where data is stored
- Self-hosted: wherever you run it; Element's current plans are all self-hosted. Element's hosted service (Element Matrix Services) is on AWS in Frankfurt, Stockholm, London or Ohio; no Canadian region named
- Where it is processed
- Wherever you run it
- Support and backups
- Not stated on the pages read
- Owner
- Element Creations Limited (UK, headquarters), with entities in Germany, France and the US · Parent country: United Kingdom
- Servers run by
- Your own servers, or Element's hosted service on AWS · US company
- Customer-held keys
- End-to-end encrypted by default (Element)
- Certifications
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022, Cyber Essentials Plus (Element)
- Worth knowing
- Built on the open Matrix standard. Self-hosted on Canadian infrastructure, the vendor never holds your messages.
- Caveats
- Element says US customers "are served from the US"; its about page says nothing about Canada. Ask whether Element or a partner hosts in Canada.
What the rules say about this
- US CLOUD Act: The owner is not American, but a US company runs the servers underneath.
- Nova Scotia public bodies: Storage and access must both be in Canada: check support access and backups, not only storage.
- Québec Law 25: Canada is not Québec: storage in Toronto still needs a privacy impact assessment for Québec data.
- OCAP®: Self-hosting on Nation-controlled or Canadian-owned infrastructure is the route to possession.
Summaries only; each rule page links the law or regulator. Not legal advice. Before you sign with Element, ask the 15 questions in the printable vendor questionnaire.
Canadian alternatives to Element
Other team chat listings that are Canadian-owned, not US-owned, or self-hostable.
| Listing | Tier | Stored in Canada? | Owner | Servers run by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mattermost | Self-hosted: Run it yourself | If you host it yourself | US | US company |
| Rocket.Chat | Self-hosted: Run it yourself | If you host it yourself | US | US company |
| Zulip | Self-hosted: Run it yourself | If you host it yourself | US | US company |
Sources
All checked 2026-10-16. Claims about storage and ownership rest on the vendor's own pages (or its parent's); supporting links can include regulators and program lists.
- Where the data is stored: https://element.io/enterprise/pricing
- Who owns it: https://element.io/en/about
- Supporting page: https://docs.element.io/latest/element-cloud-documentation/element-matrix-services/domains-and-ip-addresses/
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