Privacy mode (no training on your code)
On this pageWhat it is
What it is
Privacy mode, in the sense used here, is a setting or plan under which the vendor says your code and prompts are not kept or used to train its AI models. Without it, what you type in may be stored and, depending on the terms, used to improve future models. Claude Code, Cursor and Emergent are listed with this feature.
Why it matters
Your code often contains business logic, customer data field names and sometimes keys or passwords by accident. If you work for clients, contracts may also forbid sharing their code with third parties. A documented no-training setting lets you use an AI coding tool without handing that material over. You need it when you handle client or sensitive code. For a public hobby project, it matters little. Note that no training does not always mean no storage, so read what the vendor says about each.
What to check
- Ask for the vendor's written policy, and check whether it covers prompts, code and any files the tool reads.
- Test whether the setting is on by default or must be turned on, and whether an administrator can enforce it for the whole team.
- Check whether it applies on every plan you might use, since it can differ between free, personal and business tiers.
- Find out how long data is kept, and where it is processed, if your clients ask.