Google's announcement at the end of 2020 that it will establish a Google Cloud region in Saudi Arabia has raised serious concerns among human rights activists and organisations. The country's dismal human rights record is well documented, and Google's plan to store Snapchat and other data on servers based in the country puts users' personal data under the jurisdiction of a government with a record of surveillance. Dissidents including Abdullah Alaoudh and Lina al-Hathloul have expressed alarm at the move, accusing the company of helping to whitewash the reputation of the country's ruling family after the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In January 2021 Access Now and Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) sent open letters to Google and Snap Inc. asking about the companies' human rights due diligence measures, decision-making process, data exposure, and more. Google and Snap both issued letters in response, but did not fully address the organisations' concerns.

Human Rights Watch wrote to Google in February 2021 with related concerns, including how the company will vet employees who will have access to information stored in the Saudi Arabia Cloud region and how they will respond to authorities’ requests for user data that are legal under Saudi law but do not comply with international human rights standards. In Google's reply, the company reiterated its commitment to human rights, stating that an independent human rights assessment for the Google Cloud region in Saudi Arabia had been conducted, and that the company had taken steps to address matters that were identified, without specifying what those steps were.

Digital rights organization SMEX also wrote to Google with concerns about how the company will protect data hosted in Saudi Arabia, but has yet to receive a reply.

In May 2021, 31 human rights organisations and 7 individuals issued a joint statement urging Google to "halt the establishment of the new Cloud region until it has conducted a thorough due diligence process that meaningfully engages with potentially affected groups and provides concrete steps to address the adverse human rights impact."