AI Tool Privacy Tracker

Does ChatGPT train on my data?

Yes, by default — opt-out available.

ChatGPT's consumer plans (Free, Plus, Pro) train on user prompts, outputs, and uploaded files by default. To opt out, navigate to Settings → Data Controls and disable "Improve the model for everyone." Conversations are retained for 30 days after deletion. Temporary Chat is never used for training. ChatGPT Team, Enterprise, and API plans are explicitly excluded from training under OpenAI's enterprise terms — API users can optionally opt in via Playground feedback. Limited April–September 2025 data is preserved due to the NYT litigation order; OpenAI's standard 30-day retention practices resumed September 26, 2025.

Primary source: OpenAI privacy policy

Does Claude train on my data?

User choice required (since Aug 2025).

As of August 28, 2025, Anthropic shifted Claude's consumer plans (Free, Pro, Max) from "not used for training" to a user-choice model. New users must actively choose during signup whether to share data for training; existing users had until October 8, 2025. Users who opt in have their data retained for up to 5 years; users who decline keep the previous 30-day retention window. Flagged conversations are retained 2–7 years for trust & safety review. Claude for Work, the Claude API, Amazon Bedrock, and Google Vertex AI are all contractually excluded from training under Anthropic's Commercial Terms.

Primary source: Anthropic Aug 2025 update

Does Gemini train on my data?

Yes, by default — opt-out via "Gemini Apps Activity."

Free Gemini and Gemini Advanced (consumer) train on user conversations by default. Per Google's documentation, when Gemini Apps Activity is on, "Google uses your activity to provide, develop, and improve its services (including training generative AI models)." To opt out, set Apps Activity to OFF — but even when off, future chats are saved for 72 hours so Gemini can respond and process feedback. Default retention is 18 months, adjustable to 3 months, 36 months, or never. Human-reviewed conversations are kept up to 3 years (disconnected from your Google Account). Vertex AI customer data is contractually excluded from training: "Google won't use your data to train or fine-tune any AI/ML models without your prior permission or instruction."

Primary source: Gemini Apps Activity controls

Does Perplexity train on my data?

Yes, by default — opt-out for logged-in users only.

Perplexity trains on user queries, prompts, and AI responses by default for Free, Pro, and Max plans. The "AI Data Retention" toggle in Account Settings → Preferences disables this. Logged-out users are trained on by default with no opt-out path — sign in to gain control. Threads are retained until manually deleted; account deletion is processed within 30 days. The Sonar API offers Zero Data Retention with prompts and responses never stored. Third-party providers (OpenAI, Anthropic) are contractually prohibited from training on Perplexity's API data. Enterprise file uploads are deleted after 7 days.

Primary source: Perplexity data collection policy

Does DeepSeek train on my data?

Yes, by default — no documented opt-out for the consumer chatbot.

DeepSeek's published privacy policy stores user data — including prompts, outputs, uploaded files, keystroke patterns, IP addresses, device info, and account info — on servers in the People's Republic of China. The February 2025 EEA Supplemental Clause acknowledges "your personal data may be processed and stored in our servers in the People's Republic of China." There is no documented opt-out path for training in the consumer interface. Italy's Garante imposed a 72-hour ban in January 2025 followed by 13 European jurisdiction probes; government device bans followed in Australia, Taiwan, South Korea, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Germany, and multiple US federal agencies (Pentagon, NASA, US Navy). The bipartisan "No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act" is pending in the US Senate. A January 2025 database breach exposed over 1 million records. Open-source MIT-licensed weights can be self-hosted, which removes this concern entirely — but that is the self-hosted path, not the consumer chatbot.

Primary source: DeepSeek privacy policy

Does Apple Intelligence train on my data?

No — Apple's published policy excludes user interactions from foundation-model training.

Apple's published policy states Apple does not use users' private personal data or user interactions when training its foundation models. The on-device foundation model handles most tasks; for larger requests, Private Cloud Compute extends device security to Apple Silicon servers using a verifiable transparency model — signed binaries are publicly inspectable, there is no SSH or admin access, and researchers can audit via the Virtual Research Environment. PCC is stateless: data is processed only to fulfill the request and returned to the device; it is not stored or made accessible to Apple. Apple collects only request metadata (size, feature, duration), not content. The optional ChatGPT integration is a separate, opt-in boundary that routes through OpenAI's enterprise terms with IP obfuscation — Apple's guarantees do not extend to ChatGPT requests.

Primary source: Intelligence Engine privacy

Does Microsoft Copilot train on my data?

Consumer: yes by default — opt-out available. M365 Copilot business: no, contractually excluded.

First, the disambiguation: Microsoft Copilot is the consumer / Windows / Microsoft 365 assistant — it is distinct from GitHub Copilot (the developer product) which is tracked separately in the coding section. For Copilot Free, Copilot Pro ($20/mo), and Windows Copilot, Microsoft trains by default on signed-in users' conversation activity. Microsoft Support states: "Except for certain categories of users or users who have opted out, Microsoft uses data from Bing, MSN, Copilot, and interactions with ads on Microsoft for AI training." Opt-out is at Profile icon → Privacy → "Training on conversation activity" and is retroactive — it applies to past, present, and future use, with propagation within 30 days. Signed-out users are not used for training. Conversation activity is retained 18 months by default; user-deletable, but deletion is independent of the training opt-out. On Copilot+ PCs (NPU ≥40 TOPS), Recall and Click to Do run locally on-device with snapshots stored on-device; most Copilot chat still runs in the cloud. Microsoft 365 Copilot ($30/user/mo, enterprise) is contractually excluded from training under the Microsoft Products and Services Data Protection Addendum: "Your data isn't used to train foundation models... the prompts, responses, and data accessed through Microsoft Graph aren't used to train foundation models." Retention is tenant-controlled via Microsoft Purview. On January 7 2026, Microsoft enabled Anthropic as a default subprocessor for M365 Copilot (used in Researcher, Copilot Studio, Office agents); EU and UK tenants have it disabled by default, processing occurs outside the EU Data Boundary.

Primary source: Privacy FAQ for Microsoft Copilot

Does Meta AI train on my data?

Yes, by default globally. EU / UK have an opt-out form; US / Australia / most non-GDPR regions do not.

Meta AI — the assistant available in WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, Threads, and Ray-Ban / Oakley Meta — is opt-in by default for training on adult users' public Facebook and Instagram posts and on all Meta AI conversations. The regional split is load-bearing. EU / EEA users have opt-out via the "Right to Object" form in Privacy Center → "How Meta uses information for generative AI models and features" — Meta resumed EU training on May 27 2025 under GDPR Article 6(1)(f) "legitimate interest" after a one-year pause forced by Irish DPC + noyb pressure. UK opt-out is available after ICO concessions. US, Australia, and most non-GDPR jurisdictions have no general opt-out — Meta confirmed in Australian Senate hearings (Sept 2024) that it scrapes Australian public posts back to 2007 and will offer an opt-out only "if governments force it to." WhatsApp 1:1 and group messages remain end-to-end encrypted and are not used for training unless the user explicitly invokes @Meta AI in chat. On December 16 2025, Meta extended Meta AI conversations into ad personalization in addition to model training (US and most non-EU regions; EU, UK, South Korea carved out). Retention is indefinite unless the user manually deletes; Ray-Ban Meta voice recordings are retained up to 1 year by default. No on-device inference for the Meta AI assistant — WhatsApp "Private Processing" is server-side TEE confidential compute, not local.

Primary source: Meta Privacy Center — How Meta uses information for generative AI

Does Grok train on my data?

Consumer: yes by default — three separate opt-out paths. API: no, by default.

Consumer Grok — on X (Free, Premium $16/mo, Premium+ $40/mo), grok.com, and the Grok mobile app — is opt-in by default for training on both X posts and Grok prompts / outputs. The opt-out lives in three separate places: (1) Grok on X: Settings → Privacy and safety → Data sharing and personalization → Grok & xAI → uncheck "Allow your posts as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok and xAI to be used for training and fine-tuning." (2) Grok mobile app: Settings → Data Controls → uncheck "Improve the model." (3) Grok web at grok.com: Settings → Data → uncheck "Improve the model." EU / EEA users were excluded from X-post training under the September 4 2024 DPC undertaking; the DPC opened a fresh statutory inquiry on April 11 2025. The January 15 2026 X Terms of Service update explicitly classifies Grok prompts and outputs as user "Content" available for AI training. Grok chats are retained indefinitely unless the user deletes them. The xAI API has a materially different posture: "xAI never trains on your API inputs or outputs without your explicit permission," matching the OpenAI and Anthropic API defaults. API retention is 30 days for abuse monitoring; Zero Data Retention is available for enterprise customers via sales@x.ai and on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure since June 17 2025. Track record: "MechaHitler" antisemitic-content failure (July 2025) drew EU Commission and Turkey enforcement; ~370,000 Grok shared chats were indexed on Google in August 2025 because the share feature generated unauthenticated URLs without `noindex`.

Primary source: xAI Privacy Policy

Does Cursor train on my code?

Yes, by default for individuals — Privacy Mode opt-out.

For individual accounts, Cursor's "Share Data" mode is enabled by default, sending code, prompts, editor actions, and code snippets to Cursor for model improvement. Toggling Privacy Mode ON prevents training and discards plaintext after each request — cached files are encrypted with client-generated keys, with the encryption keys existing on Cursor's servers only for the duration of each request. Team and Enterprise accounts default to Privacy Mode ON, with zero-data-retention agreements with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, Fireworks, Baseten, and Together. The strictest tier, Privacy Mode (Legacy), guarantees no code is stored at all, by Cursor or any third party. Cursor can also be configured to use local Ollama or LM Studio models, which bypass Privacy Mode entirely.

Primary source: Cursor data use

Does GitHub Copilot train on my code?

Yes, by default for consumer plans — opt-out as of April 24, 2026.

On April 24, 2026, GitHub began using Free, Pro, and Pro+ user interaction data — including code snippets — to train AI models by default. Existing opt-outs are honored. To disable training going forward, go to Settings → Privacy. User Engagement Data is retained for 2 years; Coding Agent session logs persist for the lifetime of the account. Private repository code at rest is NOT used for training, but in-flight interaction data IS. Business and Enterprise plans are explicitly prohibited from being used for training under GitHub's agreements: subscription Prompts and Suggestions are retained 28 days, and User Engagement Data 2 years.

Primary source: April 2026 policy change

Does Windsurf (Codeium) train on my code?

Yes for individuals by default — Zero Data Retention opt-in available.

Windsurf (formerly Codeium) trains on individual user code by default — without zero-data-retention enabled, logs may contain code snippets and user trajectories. Individuals can toggle ZDR on in their profile to prevent training; with ZDR on, "the code data submitted by zero-data retention mode users will never be trained on," code is never serialized in plaintext on Windsurf's servers, and is held only in-memory for the request lifetime (plus minutes-to-hours for prompt caching). Teams and Enterprise plans default to ZDR ON. The Enterprise Self-hosted tier deploys via Docker Compose or Helm Charts inside the customer's firewall — no traffic leaves customer infrastructure.

Primary source: Windsurf security

Does Cline train on my code?

No — Cline operates no model server. Privacy depends on your chosen API provider.

Cline is an open-source VS Code extension that operates no model server of its own. User code is sent only to whichever API provider you configure (Anthropic, OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, Google Gemini, Cerebras, Groq, etc.) and is governed by that provider's terms. Cline's stated principle: "Code never leaves your machine" toward Cline servers. Anonymous telemetry (features used, task completion rates) is collected but can be disabled via the Cline Telemetry setting. Code, file contents, command arguments, and conversation content are explicitly NOT collected by telemetry. For fully on-device use, configure Cline with a local Ollama or LM Studio model.

Primary source: Cline telemetry docs

Does Claude Code train on my code?

Pro/Max account: yes by default — opt-out. API / Console / Enterprise: no, contractually excluded.

Claude Code is Anthropic's CLI for Claude — separate from Claude.ai consumer chat and from Claude for Work. The data-handling posture depends entirely on how the user is billed. A developer running Claude Code from a Claude.ai Pro or Max account inherits the August 28 2025 consumer-terms update, which made training default-on with user-choice opt-out. Anthropic stated explicitly: "These updates apply to users on our Claude Free, Pro, and Max plans... including when they use Claude Code from accounts associated with those plans." Opt-out lives at claude.ai/settings/data-privacy-controls. Retention with training enabled is 5 years; with training disabled, 30 days. A developer running Claude Code via an API key, Anthropic Console, Claude for Enterprise, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, or Microsoft Foundry is on Anthropic's Commercial Terms Section B: "Anthropic may not train models on Customer Content from Services." Reinforced in the Claude Code data-usage docs: "Anthropic does not train generative models using code or prompts sent to Claude Code under commercial terms." Bedrock and Vertex users cannot enroll in the Development Partner Program at all. Zero Data Retention is available specifically for Claude Code on Claude for Enterprise per the docs, enabled per-organization by the account team. Architecturally, Claude Code is partial on-device: the binary runs locally (file edits, shell execution, MCP servers, local session log), but inference is cloud-only via the Anthropic API.

Primary source: Claude Code data usage

Does Tabnine train on my code?

No — proprietary models trained only on permissively licensed open-source code.

Tabnine's proprietary completion models are trained only on permissively licensed open-source code (MIT, Apache 2.0). Customer code is never used to train Tabnine's models and is never shared with third parties. The code-privacy page states verbatim: "We never use your code to train any of our models. Code exposed to Tabnine is never stored or shared when using our proprietary models." Tabnine also implements zero code retention — requests are processed in-memory and immediately discarded after the server returns a suggestion. Operational metrics and logs (which contain no code and no PII) are retained roughly one week for support. The architecture scales further at the Enterprise tier, which supports SaaS, VPC, on-premises, and fully air-gapped deployment options where code never leaves the customer network. The Free tier was discontinued in 2026 (Pro is now the consumer entry tier). Compliance posture: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, GDPR, with IP indemnification for enterprise customers. No documented privacy incidents. Tabnine sits alongside Cline as the rare "good actor" in a coding category that otherwise carries opt-out-by-default training (Cursor individual, Windsurf individual) or recent reversal (GitHub Copilot, since April 2026).

Primary source: Tabnine code privacy

Does Voibe train on my voice data?

No — audio never leaves the device.

Voibe processes audio entirely on your Mac using OpenAI Whisper models running on Apple Silicon's Neural Engine. Per Voibe's privacy policy: "The Voibe application processes your voice entirely on your device. No audio is transmitted to our servers at any point" and "Your dictated content never leaves your Mac and we have no access to it." Because audio never crosses the network, there is no training to opt out of. Account holders provide an email (for authentication) and non-identifying usage analytics; crash reports exclude dictated content. The Free plan does not require an account at all.

Primary source: Voibe privacy policy

Does Wispr Flow train on my voice data?

Off by default since 2024 backlash — opt-in for training.

After 2024 community backlash, Wispr Flow shifted training to opt-in. Privacy Mode is OFF by default for Free users, meaning audio, transcripts, edits, and optional Context Awareness (screenshots of the active app's screen) are retained indefinitely. Data passed to third-party LLM providers (OpenAI, Meta) is retained for 30 days. Enterprise plans default to Privacy Mode ON with zero data retention by Wispr or any third party — audio is processed and immediately discarded after transcription. A Business Associate Agreement is available for Enterprise; once signed, Privacy Mode locks irreversibly. Transcription always happens in the cloud; even Privacy Mode is "zero-retention cloud," not local processing.

Primary source: Wispr Flow privacy policy

Deep dive: Is Wispr Flow Safe? — full investigation

Does Superwhisper train on my voice data?

No — verbatim from policy.

Superwhisper's privacy policy states explicitly: "Your data is not retained on Superwhisper servers" and "not used for training AI models or any other machine learning purposes." On-device modes (Fast, Nano, Standard Whisper, Parakeet — available on the Free plan and within Pro) process audio entirely locally; nothing is transmitted. Cloud modes (Ultra transcription, Super Mode LLMs — Pro tier) proxy audio through Superwhisper's infrastructure with no retention. One caveat: audio recordings are saved to local disk by default. Opt out in settings if local audio retention is a concern. Note: the privacy policy does not currently distinguish between on-device and cloud modes — verify cloud-mode specifics with the vendor before sensitive use.

Primary source: Superwhisper privacy

Deep dive: Is Superwhisper Safe? — full investigation

Does MacWhisper train on my voice data?

No — primarily on-device, with optional cloud + BYOK paths.

MacWhisper does not train its own models on user audio. The on-device transcription path uses local Whisper models that you can download for offline use; Apple Foundation Models also run on-device for AI features. MacWhisper's optional "Assistant" cloud transcription service and BYOK integrations (OpenAI Whisper API, ElevenLabs) inherit those providers' terms when used. The App Store version's privacy disclosure shows only "Usage Data" and "Product Interaction" as Data Not Linked to You. There is no separate enterprise tier; the data-handling architecture is identical for individuals and bulk-licensing customers.

Primary source: App Store listing

Does Aqua Voice train on my voice data?

Privacy policy does not explicitly address training — opt-out via Privacy Mode.

Aqua Voice's privacy policy does not explicitly state whether stored data is used for AI training. With Privacy Mode disabled, "we may securely store transcript data on our servers"; with Privacy Mode enabled, "transcript data is not collected" though session metadata (timestamps, device type, performance metrics) may still be. Aqua Voice is SOC 2 Type II certified by Advantage Partners. Teams and Enterprise plans support an org-wide Privacy Mode that applies the same protections across an entire organization. No HIPAA Business Associate Agreement is publicly advertised. Audio is cloud-processed; there is no on-device option.

Primary source: Aqua Voice privacy policy

Deep dive: Is Aqua Voice Safe? — full investigation

Does Typeless train on my voice data?

No, per the published privacy policy — but verify the architecture.

Typeless's privacy policy states: "Your data is never used to train these services and is configured for zero retention by the providers." Audio plus contextual information is "processed in real time on our cloud servers and immediately discarded once the result is returned to your device." Free and Pro tiers receive the same data-handling treatment. However, a November 2025 reverse-engineering analysis (covered in our Typeless privacy issues investigation) reported collection beyond what the published policy describes — including URL capture, window-title metadata via the macOS accessibility API, and broad permission requests. Verify the current subprocessor list at trust.typeless.com/subprocessors before relying on Typeless for sensitive content.

Primary source: Typeless privacy policy

Deep dive: Typeless Privacy Issues — full investigation

Does Apple Dictation train on my voice data?

Only if you opt in via "Improve Siri & Dictation."

Apple Dictation only uses your audio to improve its models if you have explicitly enabled "Improve Siri & Dictation" — the default at setup is to be asked. If opted in, audio and transcripts are retained under a rotating random ID for up to 6 months, then dissociated and kept for up to 2 years for improvement; a reviewed subset is retained beyond 2 years. If opted out, recordings are not retained for improvement. On Apple Silicon Macs running modern macOS or iOS, most languages process locally for general text fields (Notes, Mail, Messages). Server-side fallback applies to unsupported languages, search-box dictation, and some third-party Speech Recognition API uses. Apple does not sign a Business Associate Agreement for consumer Dictation, so it is not HIPAA-compliant.

Primary source: Ask Siri & Dictation policy

Does Willow Voice train on my voice data?

No by default — Private Mode is the default; opt-in required for training.

Willow Voice operates with Private Mode as the default for all users. The privacy policy states verbatim: "In private mode, Willow only collects basic technical and account-related data needed to run the app and nothing else. No voice, no dictated text." Training only occurs if the user explicitly opts into Opt-In Mode: "You can allow Willow to collect minimal usage data to help improve our text correction models." This is the inverse of Wispr Flow's pre-2024 posture, which had Privacy Mode off by default until community backlash forced the switch. With Opt-In Mode enabled, anonymized text and usage data are retained "only as long as needed to train and improve the app" — no specific retention window is published. Architecturally, Willow Voice is cloud-first; the privacy policy's reference to local storage applies to the UI display of past transcripts, not to local transcription. The current willowvoice.com pricing page does not advertise an offline transcription mode. The Enterprise tier is marketed as zero data retention with HIPAA and SOC 2 compliance and BAA availability, but the privacy policy itself only references GDPR and SOC 2 — request signed BAA terms in writing before processing PHI. Policy last updated April 30 2025.

Primary source: Willow Voice privacy policy

Does Monologue train on my voice data?

Unknown — the privacy policy does not address training either way.

Monologue's published data-privacy page makes a narrow set of claims: "No audio files or transcripts are saved on our servers," "Deep context screenshots are deleted immediately," "Zero LLM data retention," and "Custom modes and dictionaries stay on your device." The page does not explicitly state whether de-identified or aggregated data is used to improve models. Peer cloud dictation products — Wispr Flow, Typeless, Superwhisper, Willow Voice — all explicitly address the training question one way or the other. Monologue's silence is the load-bearing gap. The Notion-hosted privacy policy at modern-ton-234.notion.site is similarly sparse — no list of data categories collected, no subprocessor disclosures, no retention windows beyond the broad "not saved" claim, no SOC 2 / HIPAA / BAA mention. Offline transcription is listed as a feature on both the Free and Pro tiers of monologue.to, but the architecture (cloud-default with offline fallback vs on-device-default) is not documented. For regulated work, request explicit training and subprocessor disclosure in writing before use.

Primary source: Monologue data privacy

Does VoiceInk train on my voice data?

No — 100% on-device. Source code is auditable on GitHub.

VoiceInk is an open-source Mac dictation app under GPL v3.0. The README states verbatim: "100% offline processing ensures your data never leaves your device." The marketing site at tryvoiceink.com describes it as a "privacy-focused dictation app for macOS with local transcription." Transcription runs locally on Apple Silicon via whisper.cpp; there is no VoiceInk-operated server in the inference path, so there is no retention surface and no training path. No telemetry, BYOK cloud feature, or AI-command post-processing service is documented at this verification pass. The source code is auditable on GitHub at Beingpax/VoiceInk with 4,900+ stars, 675+ forks, and 119 releases (latest v1.76 on May 7 2026). Pricing is $39.99 one-time for the Pro license, or free if built from source under GPL v3. Because the codebase is open, the privacy claim is verifiable — the same reason Ollama, Jan, and LM Studio score highly in our Local LLM category.

Primary source: VoiceInk (tryvoiceink.com)

Deep dive: VoiceInk Review — full investigation

Does Dragon (Nuance / Microsoft) train on my voice data?

Depends entirely on which Dragon product. Desktop is offline; cloud tiers are not separately disclosed.

Dragon is now a multi-product line under Microsoft (acquired from Nuance in 2022) with materially different privacy postures across SKUs. Dragon Professional v16 is a locally installed Windows desktop application — audio is processed on the user's machine, voice profiles are stored locally, and nothing is transmitted to Nuance/Microsoft servers in normal desktop dictation operation. There is no training path because there is no upload. Dragon Anywhere (the iOS/Android mobile product) is cloud-based — audio is transmitted to Nuance/Microsoft for recognition. Microsoft's general Privacy Statement reserves the right to use customer data to develop and train AI models (with opt-out paths surfaced through Copilot privacy controls), and the Dragon-specific product pages do not separately disclose AI-training carve-outs for Dragon Anywhere at the consumer tier. Treat that cell as unverified until Microsoft publishes a Dragon-specific commitment. Dragon Medical One, Professional Anywhere, and Dragon Copilot are enterprise cloud products marketed as HIPAA-compliant when a BAA is in place. The umbrella Microsoft Products and Services Data Protection Addendum excludes Customer Data from foundation-model training, which is the contractual basis healthcare buyers rely on — but Dragon-specific commitments are still primarily contract-level rather than published product commitments. Track record context: the 2017 NotPetya attack disrupted Nuance's hosted services (including Dragon Medical) for weeks. Development on the desktop line has largely stalled since the Microsoft acquisition (v17 ≈ v16); the Mac version was discontinued in 2018 and Dragon Home in 2023. Non-medical Nuance product pages now redirect to Microsoft's health-solutions hub, creating a discovery gap that itself is a buyer risk when trying to verify privacy commitments.

Primary source: Dragon Medical One (Microsoft)

Deep dive: Dragon pricing — full breakdown

Does Spokenly train on my voice data?

No by Spokenly — but the answer depends on which of three modes you use.

Spokenly is a Mac and iOS dictation app from named solo developer Vadim Akhmerov (disclosed via the App Store, not the privacy policy) with three architectural modes that produce three different privacy postures. Local Only Mode runs OpenAI Whisper Large-v3 and NVIDIA Parakeet locally on Apple Silicon with no network calls during transcription — nothing is transmitted, so there is no training path. BYOK cloud mode routes audio to whichever provider you supply API keys for (OpenAI, Deepgram, Groq, Anthropic, or Google); Spokenly does not train on it, but the chosen provider's terms govern training and retention. Pro managed cloud ($9.99/mo) routes audio through five named subprocessors per the privacy policy effective March 2, 2026 — Cerebras, Fireworks, Groq, Mistral AI, and ElevenLabs. The policy's load-bearing claim is that audio recordings are "not stored" on Spokenly's servers, applied across all modes, but it does not explicitly state whether the subprocessors train on or retain the audio they receive. Three structural caveats apply regardless of mode: no SOC 2 / HIPAA BAA / ISO 27001 / GDPR / CCPA attestations (disqualifying for regulated work), no disclosed corporate entity or jurisdiction (only admin@spokenly.app as contact), and an iOS keyboard caveat where the developer's own App Store reply recommends switching to online models for keyboard reliability — which defeats the on-device benefit. App Store rating is 4.4/5 from 43 ratings.

Primary source: Spokenly privacy policy (eff. 2026-03-02)

Deep dive: Is Spokenly Safe? — full investigation

Does Otter.ai train on my voice data?

Yes, by default on de-identified data — opt-out in account settings.

Otter trains automatically on de-identified user data. Recordings and transcripts are not manually reviewed by humans unless the customer gives explicit consent for support troubleshooting; training data is encrypted. Opt-out exists in account settings. Four suits filed in the Northern District of California in August–September 2025 (lead: Brewer v. Otter.ai) — alleging Otter "deceptively and surreptitiously" recorded private conversations and used meeting data to train AI models without all-participant consent, under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and California Invasion of Privacy Act — were consolidated on October 22, 2025 as In re Otter.AI Privacy Litigation, No. 5:25-cv-06911-EKL, before Judge Eumi K. Lee. The motion to dismiss is fully briefed; the hearing was reset from May 20, 2026 to July 15, 2026, with no ruling yet. The visible "Otter.ai" bot creates consent issues in the 12 US states with two-party consent laws. Conversations are stored until manually deleted; trash holds for 30 days then auto-purges. Otter holds SOC 2 Type 2.

Primary source: Otter privacy & security

Does Fireflies.ai train on my voice data?

Yes, by default for consumer plans — opt-out in admin settings.

Fireflies trains on user transcripts in the default consumer configuration. Opt-out exists in admin settings; Enterprise plans differ contractually. Cruz v. Fireflies.AI Corp., No. 3:25-cv-03399 (C.D. Ill., filed December 2025), a class action under Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) alleging Fireflies captured all meeting participants' voiceprints without written consent, was terminated in March 2026 and refiled in the Northern District of Illinois; two related N.D. Ill. suits are now active before Judge Steven C. Seeger (Fricker v. Fireflies.AI Corp., No. 1:26-cv-02675; Martinez v. Fireflies.AI Corp., No. 1:26-cv-03512). The visible "Fireflies.ai Notetaker" bot creates consent complications in two-party consent jurisdictions. Audio, video recordings, transcripts, speaker identification, voiceprint data, and meeting metadata are stored until manual deletion. Data residency options are available for international compliance. Fireflies is GDPR compliant.

Primary source: Fireflies privacy policy

Does Granola train on my meeting data?

Yes, by default for consumer — Enterprise plans have training off by default.

Granola uses de-identified user data to train internal AI models supporting its services by default. The opt-out is in account settings and is not surfaced prominently. Enterprise users have training off by default. Third-party LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic) are contractually prohibited from training on Granola data. On April 2 2026, The Verge reported that Granola makes meeting notes accessible to anyone with the share link by default and opts users into internal AI training in default settings, contradicting the app's "private by default" marketing. Architecturally, audio is transcribed in real time on macOS/Windows and not stored, but audio is sent to cloud transcription providers (Deepgram, AssemblyAI) and summarization uses cloud LLMs (OpenAI, Anthropic). Transcripts and notes are stored in a US-hosted AWS Virtual Private Cloud, encrypted at rest and in transit, backed up daily. iOS uses temporarily cached audio.

Primary source: Granola privacy policy

Does Zoom AI Companion train on my meeting data?

No — contractual prohibition on training across customer content.

Zoom AI Companion does not train Zoom's or third-party AI models on customer audio, video, chat, screen sharing, attachments, or other communications-like content. The commitment is contractual rather than an opt-out — it is stated directly in both the Zoom Privacy Statement and the AI Companion Security & Privacy page. The architecture itself is the honest qualifier: AI Companion uses a federated approach that routes prompts through Zoom-hosted models plus third-party subprocessors (OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity for web search). Customer content is processed to deliver features, retained for a period, and shareable inside the org account (hosts and admins can access transcripts and summaries from any meeting they organize or join). Enterprise admins can elect the Zoom-hosted Models Only (ZMO) deployment, which keeps processing inside Zoom infrastructure and removes external subprocessors from the path. BAA is available for specific HIPAA-regulated configurations. Track record context: in August 2023, Zoom quietly added ToS language that would have permitted training on customer content; after The Verge coverage and public outcry, Zoom walked it back and committed to no training without consent, later hardening that to an absolute prohibition. No known breaches of AI Companion content. The Feb 2 2026 Privacy Statement update expanded the definition of "Customer Content" to cover content created using Zoom products beyond meetings, webinars, and messages — the no-training commitment continued to apply.

Primary source: Zoom AI Companion Security & Privacy

Does Ollama train on my data?

No — Ollama operates no model server.

Ollama is a local runtime: there is no Ollama-operated model server to send prompts or completions to. Models run entirely on local hardware. Ollama exposes an OpenAI-compatible local REST API on localhost:11434; nothing leaves the user's machine in default operation. There is no vendor server, so there is no retention surface and no training path. Ollama is open-source under the MIT license with over 100,000 GitHub stars; the codebase is transparent and there are no documented incidents. Caveat: users who deliberately expose the local API beyond localhost create their own attack surface — that is a deployment choice, not an Ollama default.

Primary source: Ollama GitHub repo

Does LM Studio train on my data?

No — inference runs locally; no chat data leaves the device.

LM Studio runs models locally on the user's hardware with an optional OpenAI-compatible local server. Inference happens entirely on-device; there are no LM Studio servers in the inference path. The optional LM Link feature uses end-to-end encrypted Tailscale mesh VPNs to connect a user's own devices for remote inference — chats remain local even when accessed from another linked device. LM Link shares only device-list metadata (not chats) with LM Studio's backend for device discovery. The application is closed-source but transparent about data flows on the LM Link product page; no documented incidents.

Primary source: LM Studio

Does Jan train on my data?

No — Jan operates no model server.

Jan is an open-source local LLM runtime under Apache 2.0. Models run locally; there is no Jan-operated model server, so there is nothing to train on and no retention surface. Optional cloud-provider integrations are explicitly opt-in — when enabled, the chosen provider's terms apply for that specific feature. In default operation, nothing leaves the device. The codebase is auditable on GitHub with an active community roadmap; no documented incidents.

Primary source: Jan