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GuideMode

Privacy Explained

GuideMode is built with privacy first as a core principle. This guide explains exactly how your data is handled.

Core Privacy Principles

Section titled “Core Privacy Principles”

1. Local by Default

Section titled “1. Local by Default”

Everything starts and stays local unless you explicitly choose otherwise.

  • Desktop app stores all data in local SQLite database
  • No telemetry or tracking
  • No automatic cloud uploads
  • No required internet connection
Section titled “2. Explicit Consent”

You control what (if anything) gets synced

  • Must opt-in to any cloud features
  • Clear confirmation dialogs
  • Per-provider configuration
  • Change anytime

3. Data Minimization

Section titled “3. Data Minimization”

Only sync what’s needed for the features you want

  • Three sync modes with increasing levels of sharing
  • Metrics-only option for privacy-balanced collaboration
  • Granular project selection
  • Historical sync is optional

4. Transparency

Section titled “4. Transparency”

Always know what data exists where

  • Clear indicators of sync status
  • Upload queue shows what’s being sent
  • Audit logs in web interface
  • Full data export available

5. You Own Your Data

Section titled “5. You Own Your Data”

Complete control over your data

  • Export anytime
  • Delete anytime
  • Revoke access anytime
  • No lock-in

What Data is Collected

Section titled “What Data is Collected”

Desktop Application

Section titled “Desktop Application”

The desktop app collects data locally only (never sent anywhere unless you enable sync):

Session Data:

  • Session timestamps
  • Provider type (Claude Code, Copilot, etc.)
  • Project name
  • Conversation transcripts
  • Commands executed
  • Files read/written
  • Tool outputs

Metrics:

  • Performance stats (duration, tokens, memory)
  • Usage stats (command count, file count)
  • Quality indicators (AI scores, ratings)
  • Engagement metrics (interactions, retries)

Configuration:

  • Provider settings
  • Project selections
  • Sync preferences
  • AI API keys (encrypted)

Application Logs:

  • Error messages
  • Debug information
  • File paths accessed

Cloud Server (If Sync Enabled)

Section titled “Cloud Server (If Sync Enabled)”

What gets sent to the cloud depends on your sync mode:

Nothing Mode:

  • Nothing is ever sent

Metrics Only Mode:

  • Session metadata (times, duration, provider)
  • Aggregated metrics (counts, scores)
  • AI summaries (no specific code)
  • NO transcripts, NO code, NO file names

Transcript & Metrics Mode:

  • Everything from Metrics Only, plus:
  • Full conversation transcripts
  • Code snippets
  • File paths
  • Specific commands

What Data is NEVER Collected

Section titled “What Data is NEVER Collected”

GuideMode never collects:

  • ❌ AI API keys (stored locally, encrypted)
  • ❌ OAuth tokens (stored securely, never logged)
  • ❌ Passwords or credentials
  • ❌ Unrelated files on your system
  • ❌ Keystroke logging
  • ❌ Screen captures
  • ❌ Browser history
  • ❌ Other application data
  • ❌ Network traffic
  • ❌ Usage telemetry (unless you enable sync)

Data Storage Locations

Section titled “Data Storage Locations”

Desktop App

Section titled “Desktop App”

Local Database:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/com.guidemode.desktop/guidemode.db
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\com.guidemode.desktop\guidemode.db
  • Linux: ~/.local/share/com.guidemode.desktop/guidemode.db

Configuration:

  • Stored in same directory as database
  • Includes encrypted AI API keys

Logs:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Logs/GuideMode/
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\GuideMode\logs\
  • Linux: ~/.local/share/GuideMode/logs/

Cloud Server (If Enabled)

Section titled “Cloud Server (If Enabled)”

Database: Neon PostgreSQL (serverless, encrypted at rest) Location: Configured region (EU, US, etc.) Encryption: TLS in transit, AES-256 at rest Retention: Until you delete (no automatic deletion)

Data Security Measures

Section titled “Data Security Measures”

Desktop App

Section titled “Desktop App”

Local Storage:

  • SQLite database with filesystem permissions
  • AI API keys encrypted with AES-256
  • OAuth tokens in secure system keychain (macOS/Windows)
  • Config files with 600 permissions (user-only read/write)

Network Communication (if sync enabled):

  • TLS 1.3 for all HTTPS requests
  • Certificate pinning for API endpoints
  • Token-based authentication
  • Rate limiting to prevent abuse

Cloud Server

Section titled “Cloud Server”

Infrastructure:

  • Cloudflare Workers edge runtime
  • Neon PostgreSQL serverless database
  • Automatic TLS/HTTPS
  • DDoS protection

Data Encryption:

  • TLS 1.3 in transit
  • AES-256 encryption at rest
  • Encrypted database backups
  • Key rotation policies

Access Control:

  • Multi-tenant isolation
  • Role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Team-based permissions
  • Audit logging

Authentication:

  • GitHub OAuth only (no passwords stored)
  • Secure session tokens
  • Auto-expiring refresh tokens
  • IP-based rate limiting

Privacy by Sync Mode

Section titled “Privacy by Sync Mode”

Nothing Mode: Maximum Privacy

Section titled “Nothing Mode: Maximum Privacy”

Nothing Privacy

Data Location: 100% local Internet: Not required Visibility: Only you Risk: None (no cloud data)

Best for:

  • Proprietary code
  • Personal projects
  • Air-gapped environments
  • Maximum privacy requirements

Metrics Only: Balanced Privacy

Section titled “Metrics Only: Balanced Privacy”

Metrics Privacy

Data Location: Metrics cloud, transcripts local Internet: Required for sync Visibility: Team sees stats, not code Risk: Low (anonymized data only)

Best for:

  • Team productivity insights
  • Privacy-conscious collaboration
  • Compliance-friendly analytics
  • Learning from patterns

Transcript & Metrics: Full Collaboration

Section titled “Transcript & Metrics: Full Collaboration”

Full Privacy

Data Location: All data in cloud Internet: Required Visibility: Team sees everything Risk: Medium (full exposure to team)

Best for:

  • Open-source projects
  • Team learning
  • Advanced analytics
  • Transparent collaboration

Third-Party Services

Section titled “Third-Party Services”

GuideMode uses minimal third-party services:

Required

Section titled “Required”

GitHub OAuth:

  • Purpose: User authentication
  • Data shared: GitHub username, email, avatar
  • Privacy: GitHub’s privacy policy applies
  • Control: Revoke anytime in GitHub settings

Neon PostgreSQL:

  • Purpose: Database hosting
  • Data shared: What you sync
  • Privacy: SOC 2 Type II certified
  • Location: Choose your region

Cloudflare Workers:

  • Purpose: Application hosting
  • Data shared: API requests
  • Privacy: Minimal logging
  • Location: Global edge network

Optional (User-Configured)

Section titled “Optional (User-Configured)”

Anthropic Claude API:

  • Purpose: AI summaries and scoring
  • Data shared: Session data you choose
  • Privacy: Anthropic’s policy
  • Control: Your API key, your control

Google Gemini API:

  • Purpose: Alternative to Claude
  • Data shared: Session data you choose
  • Privacy: Google’s policy
  • Control: Your API key, your control

Compliance

Section titled “Compliance”

GDPR (EU)

Section titled “GDPR (EU)”

GuideMode provides:

  • ✅ Right to access (export your data)
  • ✅ Right to erasure (delete from cloud)
  • ✅ Right to portability (JSON export)
  • ✅ Right to rectification (edit sessions)
  • ✅ Data minimization (metrics-only mode)
  • ✅ Purpose limitation (only for stated purposes)

CCPA (California)

Section titled “CCPA (California)”
  • ✅ Data disclosure (this document)
  • ✅ Opt-out rights (Nothing mode)
  • ✅ Deletion rights (delete cloud data)
  • ✅ No sale of data (we never sell)

Industry-Specific

Section titled “Industry-Specific”

Healthcare (HIPAA):

  • Use Nothing mode
  • Don’t process PHI
  • Consult BAA requirements

Financial (PCI-DSS):

  • Use Nothing mode for payment data
  • Metrics Only okay for non-sensitive code

Legal (Attorney-Client Privilege):

  • Use Nothing mode only
  • No sync of privileged information

Data Deletion

Section titled “Data Deletion”

Delete from Desktop

Section titled “Delete from Desktop”

To remove all local data:

  1. Uninstall GuideMode Desktop
  2. Delete database directory:
    • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/com.guidemode.desktop/
    • Windows: %APPDATA%\com.guidemode.desktop\
    • Linux: ~/.local/share/com.guidemode.desktop/

Delete from Cloud

Section titled “Delete from Cloud”

To remove synced data:

  1. Log in to GuideMode web interface
  2. Navigate to Settings → Data & Privacy
  3. Delete individual sessions or all data
  4. Confirm deletion

Effect: Permanent deletion from database and backups within 30 days.

Transparency Report

Section titled “Transparency Report”

GuideMode commits to transparency:

What We Track

Section titled “What We Track”
  • Usage: Server-side analytics for performance monitoring
  • Errors: Crash reports to improve stability
  • Metrics: Aggregated, anonymized usage stats

What We Don’t Track

Section titled “What We Don’t Track”
  • Individual user behavior
  • Content of sessions
  • Files on your system
  • Activity outside GuideMode

No Selling

Section titled “No Selling”

We never sell your data, period.

  • No third-party data brokers
  • No advertising partners
  • No analytics services
  • No external sharing

User Rights

Section titled “User Rights”

You have the right to:

  1. Access - Export all your data
  2. Rectify - Edit or correct data
  3. Erase - Delete all cloud data
  4. Restrict - Limit processing (Nothing mode)
  5. Portability - Export in JSON format
  6. Object - Opt out of any processing
  7. Automated Decisions - No automated decisions made

Privacy by Design

Section titled “Privacy by Design”

GuideMode is architected for privacy:

Local First:

  • Desktop app works offline
  • Data generated locally
  • Processing happens locally
  • Storage is local by default

Minimal Cloud:

  • Cloud is optional
  • Only what you choose
  • Deletable anytime
  • No required dependencies

Open Source (Roadmap):

  • Code transparency
  • Community audits
  • Build from source
  • Self-hosting option

Questions?

Section titled “Questions?”

For privacy questions or concerns:

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”