What Wild OS sends online
There’s no account to create and nothing to opt out of. Wild OS sends no usage data or identifiers anywhere. In Settings > Privacy and security, Share usage data with Wild OS is switched off and can’t be turned on, because there’s no usage data to share.
What we never collect
Section titled “What we never collect”- Your name, email or an account
- What you search for in Start
- Which apps you use, or for how long
- Your files, photos or messages
- Your location
- Advertising identifiers
What does connect, and why
Section titled “What does connect, and why”An operating system has to go online for some things. Here’s the full list for a fresh install.
| What | Where to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Updates | deb.wildos.io and Debian’s servers | Checks for fixes once a day and downloads them. Only the request for the update list is sent, as with any download. |
| The clock | Several independent time sources, over Tor | Wild OS sets its clock through the Tor network, from several sources at once, so no single server learns who’s asking and none can push a wrong time. Some workplace and school networks block or flag Tor traffic. |
| Brave | Brave’s servers, the Chrome Web Store, and the sites you visit | Brave and its ad blocker update themselves, and the Plasma Integration extension, which links Brave to the desktop’s media controls, updates from the Chrome Web Store. Brave’s own data collection is switched off. See included apps. |
| The Store | Flathub and Debian | Only when you open the Store or install and update apps. |
| Windows mode | Microsoft | Only once you’ve set it up. Windows talks to Microsoft for activation, updates and Microsoft 365, with its data collection turned down as far as Microsoft allows. |
What stays off
Section titled “What stays off”- Find it for me, at first start, looks up your time zone from your internet address. It sends your internet address to an online service once, and only when you press it.
- Location. There’s no location service, so no app can find out where you are.
- Search the web from Start. It’s off, and nothing you type in Start leaves the computer.
- Crash reports. Wild OS doesn’t include a crash reporter, so nothing is sent when an app crashes.
Don’t take our word for it
Section titled “Don’t take our word for it”Wild OS is open source. Every line will be public from launch, so anyone can check what it does and doesn’t do: github.com/wildorigins/wildos.