Legal
Effective Date: April 21, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains what the CARAPACE software and website at carapace.info do and do not collect, and what we do with the little information that does reach us. It applies to the Linux installer, the macOS application, the iOS application, and the carapace.info website.
CARAPACE is a self-hosted personal AI operating layer. The whole point is your data doesn't leave your hardware.
Running CARAPACE involves some network activity by design. Here's what goes where:
The iOS app offers one-time, non-subscription in-app purchases that unlock how many gateways a single iPhone can pair with (Household, Power, Corporate). These purchases are processed entirely by Apple using your Apple ID.
Keychain and UserDefaults.If you want a refund, request it through Apple directly (Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions → Report a Problem, or reportaproblem.apple.com). We don't have access to the transaction and can't issue refunds on Apple's behalf.
The iOS app stores the following locally on your iPhone:
The macOS app and Linux installer store config, tokens, and cached conversations on the machine where they run. Deleting the app (or the config directory) removes the data.
The iOS app requests microphone access for voice features and camera access for vision features. These only activate when you explicitly start a voice session or open a camera view. Audio and video frames are streamed directly from your phone to your gateway — we don't receive or proxy them.
An optional "wake word" setting keeps the microphone armed in low-power passive mode so the app can hear "Hey Claw." Local detection only — no audio is sent anywhere until the wake word fires and you start a session.
The carapace.info website uses no tracking cookies. The only storage is first-party, same-origin localStorage used to remember UI preferences (e.g. which carousel card you scrolled to). No third-party scripts (other than Tailwind CSS and Google Fonts, both delivered via CDN) run on the site.
The CARAPACE iOS app is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone, but because the app processes inputs (voice, text, camera) that may be sensitive, younger users should use CARAPACE through a parent's Apple ID under Apple Family Sharing, which applies parental controls and purchase approvals.
Running the service requires us to rely on a handful of third parties. None of them receive your prompts or conversations:
Because CARAPACE is self-hosted, most of your data is already in your hands — there's no "data export" request to make of us for your conversations. If you have questions about specific data you believe we hold (for example, installer logs tied to an IP address), contact us at the address below and we'll respond within 30 days.
If you're in a jurisdiction that grants rights to access, correct, or delete personal data (GDPR, CCPA, etc.), those rights apply to the limited data we do have. The main practical exercise of those rights is: request deletion, which will be honored to the extent any data exists to delete.
We take reasonable technical and administrative measures to protect the limited data we do hold. That said, no system is perfectly secure. Because the architecture keeps your conversations off our servers, a breach of our servers would not expose your AI interactions. Breaches of your gateway (your Mac, your VPS, your Pi) are out of our control — securing that hardware is your responsibility.
If we become aware of a security incident affecting data we hold that relates to you, we will notify affected users to the extent required by applicable law.
If we update this Policy, the new version will always be at carapace.info/privacy/, with a fresh Effective Date at the top. Material changes will also be announced in the iOS app's Settings → About section and on the website. Continued use of the Software after an update means you accept the updated Policy.
Privacy questions, concerns, or data-deletion requests: open an issue at github.com/mikeypaepke-gif/carapace-site/issues (public) or reach us privately through the contact form at carapace.info.