Privacy at Ostler.
Ostler runs entirely on your hardware. We cannot access your data. This is not a policy decision. It is an architectural one.
Ostler runs entirely on your hardware. We cannot access your data. This is not a policy decision. It is an architectural one.
This page explains exactly what data Ostler processes, where it goes, and who can see it. The short version: your data stays on your machine, and nobody – including us – can see it.
When you run Ostler, it imports and processes data from your GDPR exports and connected services – contacts, calendars, message metadata, and (if you enable them) transcripts and browsing history.
On your machine. Only your machine. Whole-disk FileVault encryption protects the on-disk files on your Mac today; a finer-grained per-store layer, keyed to a passphrase only you hold, is rolling out. Without your keys the data is unreadable to anyone, including us.
Ostler stores data in three local databases running as local container services on your Mac, with all data files written to your home directory:
The engine zone (~/.ostler/) holds the database files, encryption keys, and service configuration. The visible zone (~/Documents/Ostler/) holds the human-readable outputs: conversation summaries, wiki pages, and exported artefacts. Both directories are on your local filesystem and nowhere else.
These databases run on localhost and are not exposed to the internet. The per-store encryption layer uses a passphrase-derived key (PBKDF2 600,000 iterations, SQLCipher AES-256). The full crypto detail is in the legal privacy policy §8.
Your knowledge graph stays on your Mac.
The AI models run locally via Ollama. The Ostler app contains no telemetry, no in-app analytics, no crash reporting, and no usage tracking. We do not know who is using Ostler, how many people are using it, or what they are doing with it. No bulk export of your graph leaves your device under any circumstances. (The marketing website ostler.ai uses Cloudflare Web Analytics, a cookieless privacy-respecting analytics service – see “Marketing site sign-ups” below.)
The honest summary: public data comes in; nothing about your relationships, messages, calendar, or inferences is uploaded. Names do leave your device for Wikidata enrichment (when you enable it) and in any query you actively send to web search.
The full breakdown is in the legal privacy policy §5.
You can verify this by disconnecting from the internet. Ostler continues to work – you lose web search and Wikidata enrichment, but your knowledge graph, AI assistant, and all local features function normally.
An independent security review is in scoping with a recognised cybersecurity firm. We aim to publish a public summary when complete. Trust should be verifiable, not assumed.
Your data lives in standard, open formats, and deleting Ostler deletes everything. There is no server-side copy, because there is no server.
Everything is stored in formats any other tool can read:
To exercise your right to erasure: run ostler-uninstall, which stops all Hub services and the local database containers and removes your data (~/.ostler/ and ~/Documents/Ostler/). Your data is gone.
If we ever build a feature that touches the network, we will tell you before it ships and it will be opt-in. Local-first is not a marketing position. It is how the software is built.
The only personal data Creative Machines itself holds: newsletter emails (Buttondown), cookieless site analytics (Cloudflare), and a payment status (Stripe / Apple). Never your card, never your graph.
Questions about privacy, data handling, or this policy: [email protected].
Suspected vulnerability or security issue? Email [email protected] and see the responsible-disclosure note on our security page.
You can not un-share your soul. That is why we built Ostler to never ask you to.