“Is it safe to paste our internal documents into Google Translate?” Almost every company asks this eventually. The short answer: putting confidential documents into a free translation tool carries a real data-leak risk. Here's what actually happens to your text, and how to translate internal documents safely.
What happens to text you put into Google Translate
Your text is sent to a server and processed. Depending on the service and plan, data may be retained or used for a period to improve quality and features. The key issue: once submitted, you can't fully control how that information is handled. For contracts, performance reviews, or financial data, that's a tangible risk.
Three ways data leaks happen
1. Use for training / improvement
If submitted text is used to improve models, its content can indirectly persist outside your control.
2. Log retention
Translation logs are often kept for debugging or quality work, with unclear retention and access.
3. Employee shortcuts
“It's convenient” — staff translating confidential docs on personal accounts (shadow IT) is the most common real-world leak path.
How to translate internal documents safely
- Use a service that explicitly states your data is not used for training (paid/business tiers).
- Choose tools with a clear retention and deletion policy.
- Pick a provider you can sign a business contract / DPA with.
- Prohibit casual use of free tools in policy — and provide an approved, safe one.
Don't just ban it — give people a secure alternative
Banning free translation alone just pushes it underground. What works is giving staff an alternative that's just as convenient and actually safe. BizHonyaku never uses your submitted data for training and is optimized for business documents and keigo — so you can say “use this” instead of just “don't use Google Translate.”