> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://elephas.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How Elephas Protects Your Privacy

> How Elephas keeps you in control of your documents: local indexing, encrypted storage, the AI mode you choose, personal detail protection and encrypted sync.

Elephas is built so you control where your documents go. Your files are read, indexed and stored on your computer, and you choose where AI runs for each question: on the Elephas gateway, with your own provider, or on your computer with Local AI.

Not another chatbot that keeps your files on its servers. Elephas answers from your documents, on your computer, and sends AI only what a question needs.

## The short version

| Question | Answer |
| - | - |
| Where are my documents stored? | On your computer, in an encrypted database. [Details](/docs/privacy-and-security/where-your-data-is-stored) |
| Is my library uploaded to be indexed? | No. Indexing happens on your computer. Always. |
| What does AI receive? | Your question, a few recent chat messages, and the passages needed to answer. Never your whole library. [Details](/docs/privacy-and-security/what-data-is-sent-to-ai) |
| Can I keep everything on my computer? | Yes, with Local AI and Sync off. [Details](/docs/privacy-and-security/use-elephas-offline) |
| Are names hidden from cloud AI? | Many common personal details are replaced with placeholders first, on your computer. [Details](/docs/privacy-and-security/personal-information-protection) |
| Is sync encrypted? | Yes, end to end. Only your approved devices hold the keys. [Details](/docs/privacy-and-security/sync-encryption) |
| Do you collect analytics? | Anonymous usage and error reports, never your content, and you can turn them off. [Details](/docs/privacy-and-security/usage-reports) |

## How it works

### 1. Your documents stay on your computer

When you add files to a Brain, Elephas reads them, extracts the text, runs OCR on scans, and builds its search index on your computer. Your files are not uploaded to be indexed, in any mode.

The extracted text, the index and your chats are stored in an encrypted database (SQLCipher). Its keys are kept in Keychain on Mac and Credential Manager on Windows. Elephas also keeps a copy of each file you add in its data folder on your computer.

<Card title="Where your data is stored" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/where-your-data-is-stored" horizontal />

### 2. You choose where AI runs

In **Settings › AI**, under **How Elephas answers**:

* **Elephas AI (included with your plan).** Your question and the matching passages go to the Elephas gateway, which forwards them to a model provider. The gateway does not store your prompts or answers.
* **My own AI account.** The same content goes straight from your computer to the provider you pay, with your own API key. Elephas is not involved.
* **Local (on this computer).** A model on your computer answers. In Local AI mode, your question and your documents are not sent to any AI provider.

Every answer shows which one answered.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="What data is sent to AI" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/what-data-is-sent-to-ai" />

  <Card title="Use Elephas offline" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/use-elephas-offline" />
</CardGroup>

### 3. Personal details are hidden before cloud AI

With cloud AI, **Protect personal information when using cloud AI** is on by default. Before anything is sent, Elephas finds many common personal details, such as names, organisations, email addresses, phone numbers, card and bank numbers, and replaces them with placeholders. The real words go back into the answer on your computer. If the protection can't run, nothing is sent.

It does not catch everything. A shield under each answer shows what was hidden, and you can add names that must always be hidden to a Brain's Protected Names.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Personal information protection" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/personal-information-protection" />

  <Card title="Review hidden details" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/review-hidden-details" />
</CardGroup>

### 4. Sync is end-to-end encrypted

Personal Sync (Professional plan, off by default) encrypts your Brains, documents and chats on your computer before they leave. Keys stay on your devices, and new devices are approved by comparing five words. The trade-off: there is no recovery if you lose every synced device.

<Card title="Sync encryption" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/sync-encryption" horizontal />

### 5. Reports are anonymous and optional

Elephas can send anonymous usage and error reports, processed by PostHog in the EU. They never include your documents, questions, answers or file names. Turn them off in **Settings › Privacy**.

<Card title="Usage reports" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/usage-reports" horizontal />

### 6. You can delete your data

Your data lives on your computer, so you can delete it there. Account deletion is a separate request.

<Card title="Delete your data and account" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/delete-your-data-and-account" horizontal />

## What Elephas does not promise

Being clear about limits is part of being trustworthy:

* Cloud AI is not end-to-end encrypted. The gateway and the model provider read your question and passages in order to answer.
* Personal information protection hides many common details, not all of them.
* Elephas holds no security or compliance certifications today. It does not make your use of AI compliant with a specific regulation on its own.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Is Elephas private?">
    Elephas gives you control over where your documents go. Indexing and storage always happen on your computer. What leaves your computer depends on the AI you choose, and in Local AI mode, no AI request leaves it. See [What data is sent to AI](/docs/privacy-and-security/what-data-is-sent-to-ai).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can Elephas staff read my documents?">
    Your documents are stored on your computer, not on Elephas servers. Synced data is end-to-end encrypted, and Elephas does not hold the keys. With Elephas AI, the gateway relays the passages needed for an answer without storing them.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is this safe for client work?">
    For the most sensitive files, use Local AI, so the content of your questions and documents is not sent to any AI provider. For cloud AI, keep personal information protection on, add client names to Protected Names, and check the shield under answers.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where can I read the privacy policy?">
    See the [Elephas privacy policy](https://elephas.app/privacy).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

More questions: [Privacy FAQ](/docs/privacy-and-security/privacy-faq).

## Related articles

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="What data is sent to AI" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/what-data-is-sent-to-ai" />

  <Card title="Privacy FAQ" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/privacy-faq" />

  <Card title="Choose how Elephas answers" href="/docs/ai-options/choose-how-elephas-answers" />

  <Card title="Protected Names" href="/docs/brains-and-documents/protected-names" />
</CardGroup>


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