Is SOC 2 required by law?
No. SOC 2 is a voluntary attestation developed by the AICPA, not a law or a government mandate. Companies pursue it because customers require it in contracts and security reviews, not because a statute compels it. That is different from HIPAA, PCI DSS, or GDPR, which are legal or contractual obligations tied to specific data.
SOC 2 is market-driven, not statutory
SOC 2 is a report framework created by the AICPA. No law requires a company to have one. What drives adoption is the market: enterprise buyers, and increasingly mid-market buyers, ask for a SOC 2 report before they will trust you with their data, so it becomes a de facto requirement to sell.
How it differs from legal mandates
HIPAA (US health data), PCI DSS (card data, a contractual card-brand requirement), and GDPR (EU personal data) attach to specific kinds of data and carry legal or contractual force. SOC 2 is voluntary and general; you choose it to prove security posture, not because a regulator requires it.
So should you get one?
If your buyers ask for SOC 2, or you sell to companies that run vendor security reviews, a report removes a sales blocker. If no one is asking and you have no data obligations, you may not need it yet. Keel helps you get ready efficiently when the time comes.
FAQ
If it is not legally required, why do companies get SOC 2?
Because customers demand it. A SOC 2 report shortens security reviews and unblocks deals, so it functions as a commercial requirement even though no law mandates it.
What compliance obligations are actually legal?
It depends on your data: HIPAA for US protected health information, GDPR for EU personal data, and PCI DSS (a card-brand contractual mandate) for payment card data. SOC 2 is not in that category.
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