Privacy

October 2, 2026

This page says what Parasite collects, what stays on your Mac, and what can leave. It describes this beta. A later build will not start sending something new until this page says so, with a new date. The terms are part of this page.

Who

Philip Cronerud publishes Parasite. There is no company address on this page.

On your Mac

The app runs locally. It does not watch the screen until you press ⌘/ and ask for something. After that, it looks at the application in front of you so it can operate it.

If you tap the microphone in the prompt, Parasite uses the Mac microphone and Speech Recognition so you can dictate the request. When the system can do recognition on the Mac, that is what Parasite asks for. Parasite does not keep a recording of that audio.

A procedure it keeps is a generalized way of working: the kind of change, the application, and whether it worked. The raw prompt is not stored, and the document contents are not stored. Procedures stay on this Mac. Clearing activity does not delete them.

What can leave

• An install check-in. When the app launches, it can send an anonymous install id, the version, the channel, the time, and a public key and signature for that check-in. That message does not include your prompt, your document, a filename, or an email.
• A model request. If you are signed in and the job is not already a known procedure, the words you typed are sent to Parasite’s service so the model you selected can plan the change. The default model is Gemini. Passwords, private keys, and similar secrets that match known patterns are removed before that send. Your instruction stays, because that is the task. This is true with Local only on or off.
• The open document, when Local only is off. Local only starts off. While it is off, filenames and document text can go with the request. Turn Local only on and document text, filenames, and screen images stay on the Mac.
• A screen image, only as a last resort. It is not sent when Local only is on. It is not sent when the text of the page already names the controls. Looking at the screen is not the first way Parasite sees an application.

What does not leave

Share diagnostics is off. This build does not upload a diagnostic report. The record that setting refers to stays on the Mac: the event, the Parasite version, the other application’s id and version, and whether a procedure worked. It does not include your prompt, document contents, filenames, passwords, or keys.

A setting for sharing patterns exists and starts off. This build does not upload a pattern report.

Training

Parasite does not use your files, screens, or commands to train its own models. Storing a procedure that worked is not training a model.

The model provider processes a request in order to answer it. Parasite does not ask that provider to train on your work. Parasite does not control the provider’s own logs. Local only is how you keep document text, filenames, and screen images off that request. The words you typed still go, because that is the request.

The waitlist

If you submit an email on the site, we keep that email and the time you joined, so we can write when the beta opens. The form does not create an account. If you want that email deleted, reply to the message we send. Until then it stays, so that message can be sent.

How long

The install id stays in the app’s preferences on your Mac. Procedures stay on that Mac until you remove them. Parasite does not keep a cloud copy of your documents.

Children

Parasite is not directed at children under 13. Do not submit a child’s email to the waitlist.