---
title: Privacy and permissions
description: Understand local storage, model requests and external tool actions.
lastVerified: 2026-10-02
---

# 5.4 Privacy and permissions

Self-hosting gives you control over the environment Teloa runs in and the location of stored work data. When you use an external model, the context needed for the task is still sent to that provider.

## Data that may leave the device

| Operation | What may be sent |
| --- | --- |
| Model inference | Your request, selected knowledge, relevant context and tool results |
| Web search or page retrieval | Search terms, URLs and request information required by the service |
| External tool calls | The tool's arguments, identity information and business data |
| Exporting or sharing a resource package | The content you selected for the package |
| App usage and resource installation statistics | A random installation identifier, version, usage date, and added official resource IDs, versions and types; see [usage statistics](https://docs.teloa.ai/v/0.2.2/markdown/en/reference/usage-stats.md) |

npm and container launches send usage and official resource installation statistics by default; source launches do not. The installation identifier can link records from the same installation, so this data is de-identified rather than fully anonymous. Set `TELOA_USAGE_STATS=off` before launch to exclude reporting. See [usage statistics](https://docs.teloa.ai/v/0.2.2/markdown/en/reference/usage-stats.md) for fields, retention and rules. Understand the source and recipient before including sensitive material; a local database does not make the entire execution path offline.

## Three separate decisions

1. **Standing access:** grant an employee specific tools or knowledge scopes.
2. **Action approval:** decide whether a particular action is allowed.
3. **Acceptance of a result:** decide whether content is ready to use or publish.

These decisions do not replace one another. The approval interface covers the execution paths actually integrated with it. Third-party tools and the agent engine's behavior also need to be assessed.

## Native and container execution

Running natively executes tools on your computer. Access still depends on the working directory, tool grants, sandbox, and operating-system permissions. Installing software does not grant access to the entire disk, every application, or browser profiles.

Container execution uses the environment inside the container. An explicitly mounted directory may allow tools to change files on the computer outside the container, depending on mount and tool permissions. Running in Docker does not make every action safe. A remote deployment still needs a separately configured connection to access a personal computer; remote computer control is not included in the current npm installation.

## Keys and backups

Store keys in the dedicated key storage, not in group messages or skills. Backups may contain complete identities and work data. Keep them encrypted and restrict read access.

The personal Web Alpha does not provide enterprise multi-user security boundaries. A reverse proxy alone does not turn this local, single-user service into a multi-user SaaS product. See [Editions and delivery options](https://docs.teloa.ai/v/0.2.2/markdown/en/reference/editions.md) for enterprise identity, isolation, audit and private deployment plans.

## Website analytics

The Teloa website (www.teloa.ai), documentation site (docs.teloa.ai) and marketplace (market.teloa.ai) use Cloudflare Web Analytics to count visits. It provides only aggregate data such as page views, referring pages, country or region, device type and page load performance. It uses no cookies, does not identify visitors by browser characteristics and is not used for cross-site tracking.

Website analytics is separate from the in-app [usage statistics](https://docs.teloa.ai/v/0.2.2/markdown/en/reference/usage-stats.md): the former covers visits to the three websites above, while the latter is sent by the Teloa app while it runs.