Knowledge Universe — Privacy Policy
Last updated: June 15, 2026
The short version: your knowledge stays on your Mac, and we don’t see it.
Knowledge Universe (“the app,” “we,” “us”) is a local-first macOS application distributed on the Mac App Store.
1. What we collect
We do not collect personal data from you. We do not run analytics servers, trackers, or advertising SDKs, and we do not sell or share your data.
The only situations in which information reaches us are:
- When you email us for support — you choose what to share (see §5).
- Apple processes your subscription purchase and any refund requests (see §6). We never receive your payment details.
2. Where your data lives
- Your knowledge maps (concepts, notes, chat history) are stored locally on your Mac. They do not leave your device unless you explicitly export or sync them.
- Personal notes you add to concepts are private and are never sent to any AI model.
3. Sync (Premium, optional)
If you subscribe to Premium and enable sync, your knowledge maps sync across your Macs via Apple iCloud using CloudKit’s Private Database:
- The data is stored in your iCloud account, hosted and encrypted by Apple.
- It is encrypted in transit and at rest by Apple. With iCloud Advanced Data Protection enabled on your account, it is end-to-end encrypted.
- We (the developer) cannot read your synced data.
4. Artificial intelligence
Knowledge Universe uses AI to build and explore your concept trees. How your content is processed depends on the AI source:
- Apple on-device models run locally on your Mac — no network traffic, no data leaves your device.
- Apple Private Cloud Compute (PCC) — for heavier reasoning, requests may be sent to Apple’s PCC. Apple designs PCC so that request data is not stored and is not accessible to Apple or to us. See Apple’s privacy overview.
- Bring Your Own Key (OpenAI / Anthropic) — if you add your own API key, the app sends your prompts directly to that provider over HTTPS, governed by that provider’s privacy policy. Your API key is stored in the macOS Keychain and is never sent to us.
When you ask the AI to expand a concept, the relevant concept text is included in the request so the model has context.
5. Exports & support
- Exports (PDF, Markdown, JSON) are generated locally and saved wherever you choose. If you share an export with us for support, treat it as personal data — share only what you’re comfortable with.
- Support emails contain only what you choose to send us. We use them solely to respond to you and delete them when no longer needed.
6. Subscriptions & payments
Subscription billing is processed entirely by Apple through the Mac App Store (StoreKit). We do not collect, store, or see your payment card or Apple account details. Refunds are handled by Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
StoreKit product identifiers: com.cascadeai.knowledgeuniverse.premium.monthly and com.cascadeai.knowledgeuniverse.premium.annual.
7. Local analytics (no PII)
If analytics are collected, they are stored only on your device, contain no personal information, and can be reset or exported from the app’s settings at any time. They are never transmitted to us.
8. Children
Knowledge Universe is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect data from children.
9. Your choices
- Delete your data: delete individual concepts or maps in the app, or remove the app’s container (Finder → Go → ⌥ Library → Containers →
com.cascadeai.knowledgeuniverse).
- Stop sync: disable iCloud sync in the app, or turn off iCloud Drive for the app in System Settings.
- Remove an API key: delete it from Settings → AI Provider.
- Manage or cancel your subscription: System Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy; the “Last updated” date above reflects the latest version.
Questions about privacy? Email v.drnoyan@gmail.com.