Last updated: 18 April 2026
Ostler is local-first software that runs entirely on your hardware. We provide the tool. You own the data. We never see it.
Ostler is a personal knowledge system that runs on your Mac. It imports data from your GDPR exports and connected services, builds a searchable knowledge graph of your relationships and history, and uses local AI models to help you query and understand your own data.
By downloading, installing, or using Ostler (“the App”), you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the App.
Creative Machines Limited is incorporated in Hong Kong SAR. We publish Ostler. The IT Guy diagnostic service is a planned future offering (see Section 6) and is not currently operational.
Ostler processes your personal data entirely on your hardware. This includes contacts, conversations, calendar events, browser history, and any other data you import.
We are a tool provider. Creative Machines provides Ostler as software. We do not access, collect, receive, transmit, or benefit from any personal data generated or processed by the App. Think of us as the manufacturer of a filing cabinet – not the owner of what is stored inside it.
Your data is stored in local databases (Qdrant, Oxigraph, Redis) running as Docker containers on your Mac. These databases run on localhost. They are not exposed to the internet.
You are the Data Controller. Under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR), you are the sole Data Controller for all personal data processed by Ostler on your device. Creative Machines is neither a Data Controller nor a Data Processor for this data – we never access, receive, process, or store it.
You are responsible for:
Ostler imports data from GDPR data exports you obtain from third-party platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google, and others). By using this feature, you represent and warrant that:
Creative Machines does not access, receive, or process your GDPR exports. They are imported directly into your local databases on your hardware.
Ostler processes personal data of people other than you – contacts, message participants, and individuals referenced in your GDPR exports and connected services. This processing may include AI-generated relationship summaries, interaction frequency analysis, and contact enrichment.
Household exemption limitations: The GDPR household exemption (Article 2(2)(c)) may not cover systematic, AI-assisted processing of third-party personal data at scale. If you use Ostler to process data about a significant number of individuals, you should consider whether you have a lawful basis for that processing.
Legitimate interest guidance: Where the household exemption does not apply, the most likely lawful basis for your processing of third-party data is legitimate interest (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)). You should consider:
Contact exclusion: Ostler provides the ability to exclude specific contacts from AI processing. You should use this feature to honour any requests from individuals who do not wish their data to be processed in your knowledge graph.
Data subject requests: If any person whose data appears in your Ostler instance exercises their rights under applicable data protection law (access, deletion, rectification), you are responsible for responding to those requests. Creative Machines cannot assist, as we have no access to your data.
The IT Guy is described here as a forward-looking commitment. It is not available at launch. When it ships, the terms below will apply. Until it ships, no data is sent anywhere, because no cloud service is running.
The IT Guy is an optional cloud-based diagnostic service that helps troubleshoot your Ostler installation. If you choose to enable it, a local agent sends system status data only to our servers:
The IT Guy never sends:
The IT Guy is entirely optional. Ostler works fully without it. You can enable or disable it at any time.
Personal data: IT Guy diagnostic data – including hardware fingerprints combined with your subscription identifier – may constitute personal data under GDPR and UK GDPR because it can indirectly identify a device user. Creative Machines acts as a Data Processor for IT Guy data on your behalf. A lightweight Data Processing Agreement (DPA) is available on request at privacy@ostler.ai and governs our processing obligations under GDPR Article 28.
Data retention: IT Guy diagnostic data is retained for 90 days to enable support case resolution, then automatically deleted. You can request immediate deletion at any time by contacting us.
Data breach notification: If we become aware of a security breach affecting IT Guy diagnostic data, we will notify affected users without undue delay and in any event within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, in accordance with GDPR Article 33. Notification will be sent to the email address associated with your account, or through the App if no email address is available.
Creative Machines offers three products:
Home AI Hub is a one-time purchase. Once purchased, it is yours to use indefinitely. No ongoing payment is required. Software updates are delivered through the Mac App Store.
Archive mode: If your Ostler subscription lapses or is cancelled, the Ostler application enters read-only archive mode. In archive mode:
You can reactivate your Ostler subscription at any time to restore full functionality. Your data will be exactly as you left it.
The IT Guy requires an active Ostler subscription. If your Ostler subscription lapses, The IT Guy is also suspended. Diagnostic data already collected is retained per the retention policy in Section 6 and then deleted.
Ostler incorporates third-party open-source libraries (including but not limited to Ollama, Qdrant, Oxigraph, and Redis). These components are governed by their respective open-source licences.
Ostler itself (including the import pipeline, AI processing, iOS companion app, The IT Guy service, and all Creative Machines proprietary code) is governed by these Terms and may not be copied, modified, reverse-engineered, or distributed without permission.
Ostler may integrate with third-party messaging and social platforms to import your data. You should be aware of the following:
WhatsApp integration: Ostler’s WhatsApp data import feature uses an unofficial, reverse-engineered implementation of the WhatsApp Web protocol. This integration is not endorsed, certified, or supported by WhatsApp or Meta Platforms, Inc. By using this feature, you acknowledge that:
Limitation of liability for third-party platform access: Creative Machines is not liable for any loss, damage, or consequence arising from the use of unofficial integrations with third-party platforms, including but not limited to account suspension, data loss, or service interruption caused by changes to third-party protocols or enforcement of third-party terms of service. This limitation applies to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.
Ostler uses local AI models to generate relationship summaries, search results, timeline entries, and other outputs. These outputs are generated by machine learning models and may contain errors, omissions, hallucinations, or inaccuracies.
Do not rely on Ostler outputs for legal, medical, financial, or safety-critical decisions without independent verification. Ostler is a personal productivity tool, not a substitute for professional services.
Your data is stored in standard, open formats on your hardware:
If you stop using Ostler, your data does not disappear into a proprietary format. It remains on your machine in formats that any other tool can read. You own your data unconditionally.
To delete all Ostler data: remove the Docker volumes and the ~/.ostler directory. Your data is gone. There is no server-side copy to request deletion of (except IT Guy diagnostic data if you enabled it – contact us to request its deletion).
Use Ostler only for lawful purposes. You must not use it to:
Ostler runs on your hardware. We do not control your computing environment. Creative Machines is not responsible for:
You are solely responsible for maintaining backups of your data. We recommend regular Time Machine backups or equivalent.
THE APP IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
Creative Machines does not warrant that:
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW:
IN NO EVENT SHALL CREATIVE MACHINES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF PROFITS, OR DAMAGE TO HARDWARE, except where such exclusion is prohibited by applicable law.
EU and UK consumers: The limitations in this section do not affect your mandatory statutory rights under the EU Digital Content Directive (2019/770) or the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015. In particular, nothing in these Terms limits your right to a remedy (including repair, replacement, price reduction, or termination) where digital content does not conform to the contract. These mandatory rights cannot be excluded or restricted by contract.
Local software acknowledgement: You acknowledge that Ostler runs on your hardware, and Creative Machines has no ability to access, monitor, repair, or recover your data. Data loss, corruption, or security breaches on your device are your responsibility.
You agree to use the App in compliance with applicable laws. To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Creative Machines from claims, damages, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising directly from:
This indemnification obligation does not apply to consumers resident in the European Union or United Kingdom to the extent that it would be considered an unfair contract term under applicable consumer protection law.
Your privacy matters. See our Privacy Policy for full details. The summary: your data stays on your device, and we never see it.
Ostler is intended for use by adults only. You must be at least 18 years old to install and use Ostler. By installing, you confirm that you are 18 or older.
We set this higher than many consumer apps because Ostler processes personal data belonging to other people (your contacts, conversation partners, and others whose information appears in your imported data exports). Handling that data carries legal responsibilities that we believe require an adult user.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe a minor has installed Ostler, please contact us. Since Ostler processes data locally and we have no access to it, our ability to assist is limited to revoking the subscription. Data can be deleted locally with ostler-uninstall.
You can stop using Ostler at any time by cancelling your subscription and deleting the App. Your data remains on your device until you choose to delete it.
We may terminate or suspend your access to The IT Guy service if you violate these Terms. Termination of The IT Guy does not affect the local operation of Ostler.
We may update these Terms at any time. Updated Terms will be posted at this URL. Material changes will be communicated through the App or by email if we have your contact details. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance.
These Terms are governed by the laws of Hong Kong SAR. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Hong Kong SAR.
For consumers resident in the European Union or United Kingdom, nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights under applicable consumer protection law, including rights that cannot be excluded or limited by contract. In particular:
Online Dispute Resolution: The European Commission provides an Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform for EU consumers at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr (EU Regulation 524/2013). Our email address for the purpose of this platform is legal@ostler.ai.
Ostler does not sell, share, or disclose any personal information to third parties. Your data is processed locally on your device and is never transmitted to Creative Machines or any third party (except the limited system diagnostic data described in Section 6, which contains no personal information).
California consumers have the right to:
Creative Machines Limited is incorporated in Hong Kong SAR. As we do not collect personal data from users, the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) (“PDPO”) does not apply to our data handling practices for the core Ostler application.
For The IT Guy diagnostic service, we comply with all applicable PDPO requirements, noting that diagnostic data does not constitute personal data as defined under the Ordinance.
Ostler uses standard encryption libraries for local credential storage. The App processes data entirely on your device and does not transmit encrypted data across borders. Users are responsible for complying with local laws regarding their use of encryption and data processing software.
Creative Machines shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under these Terms where such failure or delay results from circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to: natural disasters, acts of government, internet or telecommunications failures, power outages, third-party service disruptions (including changes to third-party APIs or protocols), pandemics, or acts of war or terrorism. This clause does not affect your statutory rights as a consumer.
Creative Machines may assign, transfer, or subcontract its rights and obligations under these Terms to a third party (for example, on acquisition or merger), provided that such assignment does not materially reduce your rights under these Terms. We will notify you of any such assignment. You may not assign your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent.
If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force and effect.
Creative Machines Limited is incorporated in Hong Kong SAR and does not have an establishment in the European Union or United Kingdom. In accordance with GDPR Article 27 and UK GDPR Article 27, we are in the process of appointing representatives in the EU and the UK. Details of our appointed representatives will be published at this URL and in the App once confirmed. In the meantime, privacy enquiries from EU and UK residents may be directed to privacy@ostler.ai.
Questions about these terms? Get in touch.
Creative Machines Limited
Incorporated in Hong Kong SAR
Email: legal@ostler.ai