Nathan Schneider
3ee59e2dcc
- §4: the exact boundary — enclave models protect inference, stored history is operator-readable; recommend Temporary Chat + enclave model for sensitive material. New subsection on Temporary Chat (per- conversation toggle, Default Temporary Chat setting, trade-offs, what it does and does not change). - §8: temporary chats are never retained. - getting-started: add Temporary Chat to the chat feature list with the Settings → Conversations default toggle. No engineering change; documents what the deployed chat (1.4.5) already supports. Member request 2026-10-28.
109 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
109 lines
6.8 KiB
Markdown
# Privacy Policy
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**Last updated:** October 28, 2026
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## In plain language
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- We collect only what we need: your email, name, and basic usage data.
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- We offer a **changing variety of models with different privacy and value affordances** — some run in encrypted enclaves we cannot read, others differ. **You are responsible for assessing each model's properties and picking the one that fits your needs.**
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- We **do** store your chat history on our server (so you can revisit it). We promise not to read it, but this is a promise, not a technical guarantee. **Temporary chats** are the exception: nothing is stored at all, and you can make them your default — see §4 if you'd like sensitive conversations to leave nothing behind.
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- We never train on your data, and we never sell it.
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- You can export or delete your data at any time.
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The full policy is below. Questions? info@inference.coop.
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---
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## 1. Our privacy philosophy
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The Inference Cooperative is a member-governed project. We are **not** an ad-supported or data-extractive business — we have no incentive to read or sell your data. Privacy is a structural value, built into how we operate.
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## 2. What we collect
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- **Account data:** your email and name (from Open Collective).
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- **Membership data:** your contribution status and role.
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- **Usage data:** token counts, model used, and timestamps (for metering your monthly budget).
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- **Content:** your prompts and the AI's responses (stored in your chat history).
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- **Billing data:** handled by Open Collective — we do not see full payment details.
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## 3. Privacy depends on the model you choose
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We serve a **changing catalog of models from multiple providers, and they do not all offer the same privacy**. Models differ in their affordances — some run inference inside **encrypted enclaves** (TEEs) where inputs and outputs are not readable in plaintext at the inference step; others are selected for renewable energy, openness, or cost rather than architectural privacy. The set of available models, and their properties, will change as members decide.
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**You are responsible for assessing each model's privacy and value properties and choosing the one that fits your needs.** As a rule of thumb:
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- Some models run inference in encrypted enclaves, verifiable through remote attestation — a property of the system, not a promise.
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- Other models are processed in the clear under their provider's own terms and data-processing agreement.
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We never read or sell your data regardless of model — but the *architectural* guarantee applies only to models that offer it. Check the current model catalog and each provider's terms before relying on a particular model for sensitive material.
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## 4. What we *can* see (an honest caveat)
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Your **chat history is stored on our server** so you can revisit past conversations. Stored chat history is **not** encrypted in a way that prevents us from technically reading it, regardless of which model generated it.
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We commit not to read it. But this is a **policy commitment**, not an architectural guarantee. We're transparent about this distinction because it matters.
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Note the boundary precisely: enclave models protect your conversation **while it is being processed** — the model provider and we cannot read the exchange at inference time. Stored history is a separate leg: once a conversation is saved, it sits on our server in a form we can technically read. So for sensitive material, the strongest combination available today is a **Temporary Chat with an enclave model** — protected in transit and at inference, and never stored afterwards.
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### Temporary chats (recommended for anything sensitive)
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The chat has a **Temporary Chat** mode designed exactly for this:
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- Click the **Temporary Chat** toggle in the chat header, and the conversation is **never saved** — it doesn't appear in your history, it isn't written to our database, and it disappears when you leave the page.
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- To make this the default for every new conversation, open **Settings → Conversations** and enable **Default Temporary Chat**. The preference is stored in your browser, so it's yours to change at any time.
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- The trade-off is that there's nothing to revisit: no history, no search, no sync across devices. Use it whenever that trade is right for you — you can mix saved and temporary conversations freely.
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Temporary chats change what we store, not who processes your request: the model you choose still receives your messages to generate a reply, under the properties described in §3.
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### Operational logs
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Our server software keeps standard operational logs (dates, error messages, and — for account management like provisioning and welcome emails — the email addresses involved). These logs exist to run and debug the service, are kept briefly, and are not used to profile members.
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## 5. Search
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Web search runs through our self-hosted search instance. Search queries are forwarded to the underlying search engines (e.g. DuckDuckGo), which may see them. This is inherent to how web search works.
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## 6. What we do NOT do
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- We do **not** train models on your data.
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- We do **not** sell, rent, or share your data.
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- We do **not** use your data for advertising or profiling.
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## 7. Third parties
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The models we serve are provided by third parties that change over time, each with its own terms and privacy posture. We never sell your data, but when you use a model, that model's provider processes your inputs under its own terms and data-processing agreement — some in encrypted enclaves, some in the clear. Review each provider's terms before relying on it for sensitive material. Our current providers are listed in the model catalog.
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- **Open Collective** — handles billing and membership (their own privacy policy applies).
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- **Cloudron** — our self-hosted platform; no third-party cloud provider.
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- **Search engines** — receive your search queries (see §5).
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## 8. Retention and deletion
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- Chat history is retained until you delete it.
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- **Temporary chats are never retained** — they are not written to our database at all (see §4).
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- On leaving, your account is deactivated (data preserved for reactivation).
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- You may request full deletion at any time: info@inference.coop.
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## 9. Security
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- Self-hosted on Cloudron (sandboxed apps, SSL, backups).
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- Per-member API keys; access gated on live membership.
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- No external dependencies for core infrastructure.
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## 10. Your rights
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- **Access, correct, export, and delete** your data.
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- As a member, you also have **governance** rights over this policy itself (through Loomio).
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## 11. Children
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The service is for people **18 and older**. We do not knowingly collect data from children.
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## 12. Changes
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We may update this policy as the project evolves. Material changes are announced to members and, where appropriate, decided through Loomio.
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## 13. Contact
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**info@inference.coop**
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