Duck.ai, Proton Lumo, and Brave Leo are worth shortlisting if privacy matters more to you than choosing a chatbot solely for its features. Their companies describe different safeguards: DuckDuckGo says Duck.ai removes identifying metadata and has agreements with model providers about deletion and training; Proton says Lumo uses zero-access encryption for saved conversations and does not train on user data; and Brave says Leo does not retain chats on its service or use them for additional model training. These are company claims, not proof that the services are equivalent or independently audited.
Which privacy-focused AI chatbot should you choose?
There is no single privacy setting that answers whether a chatbot is private. Consider five separate questions: whether prompts can be used for model training, how long data is retained, whether people may review it, which providers receive it, and where conversation history is stored. The comparison below summarizes the services’ own published descriptions, checked October 7, 2026. It is a policy comparison, not an independent security audit or performance test.
| Service | What the company says about prompts and training | History and important qualification | Could suit you if… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck.ai (DuckDuckGo) | DuckDuckGo says it removes identifying metadata such as IP addresses before sending requests to model providers. It says provider agreements require prompts and responses to be deleted after a reply and prohibit training on Duck.ai conversations. | DuckDuckGo says chats are not recorded or stored by default. Some provider prompt caching may last up to one hour, and provider-specific exceptions apply. Chats submitted as feedback can be stored and reviewed. | You want to choose among underlying models through a privacy-focused intermediary and accept that prompts still go to model providers. |
| Proton Lumo | Proton says user data is not used to train its AI models. | Proton says saved conversations use zero-access encryption, meaning Proton cannot read them. The available policy description does not establish that prompts remain encrypted from the model during processing. | You value encrypted saved conversations and want a chatbot from Proton. |
| Brave Leo | Brave says chats are not shared or used for additional model training. | Brave says Leo does not retain chats on its service, but chat history can be saved locally on your device. Free use does not require an account; premium subscription verification requires one. | You want AI assistance integrated into the browser, including help with pages and documents, and understand the difference between server retention and local history. |
All three descriptions are the providers’ statements; none establishes absolute privacy. Their policies also do not support a ranking of answer quality. Check the current policy and product settings before sharing sensitive information, because model availability, features, and terms can change.
What to know about each alternative
Duck.ai: a privacy-focused layer in front of model providers
Duck.ai is not a way to keep prompts entirely away from third parties: DuckDuckGo says it sends requests to the selected model providers. Its privacy approach, as described by DuckDuckGo, is to remove identifying metadata before forwarding requests and to require providers to delete prompts and responses after generating a reply and not train on Duck.ai conversations. The service lists provider-specific exceptions, so the general description should not be read as a guarantee that every model follows identical handling. DuckDuckGo also says chats shared as feedback may be stored and reviewed. Review the current provider and feedback disclosures if those distinctions matter to your use.
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Proton Lumo: encrypted saved conversations
Proton says Lumo saves conversations using zero-access encryption, so Proton itself cannot read saved chats, and says it does not use user data to train AI models. Those statements concern saved conversations and training; they do not establish that prompts stay encrypted from the model while the service processes a request. Proton describes free access with limits and Lumo Plus with higher or unlimited usage. Those plan descriptions do not establish current limits or pricing, which may change.
Brave Leo: browser-integrated assistance with local history
Brave says Leo does not retain or share chats and does not use chats for additional model training. Its help information also says chat history may be stored on the user’s device. That is distinct from server-side retention: local history can remain available on a device even when the company says it does not retain chats on its service. Brave says a free account is not required for Leo, while premium access requires an account to verify the subscription.
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How do popular chatbots handle privacy?
If you are comparing alternatives with a service you already use, read the policy for that exact product and account type. Consumer, business, API, signed-in, and bot-specific terms can differ.
| Service | Training and review | Retention or controls described by the provider | Scope to keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT (OpenAI) | OpenAI says it may use consumer-service content to train models unless the user opts out. It says business and API inputs and outputs are not used for training by default. OpenAI also says authorized personnel or service providers may access content for specified purposes and that it does not sell user data or share ChatGPT conversations with advertisers. | OpenAI says Temporary Chat does not appear in history, use or create memories, or train models. The cited policy description does not specify a retention period for Temporary Chat. | Do not apply the business or API default to consumer ChatGPT. |
| Claude (Anthropic) | Anthropic says consumer conversations may be used for model improvement if a user opts in, if content is flagged for safety review, or through another explicit opt-in. It distinguishes safety review from routine improvement use. | Anthropic says incognito chats are excluded from model improvement even if the main improvement setting is enabled. It says qualifying data used for improvement after the setting is enabled may be retained in de-identified form for up to five years. | The five-year period is for qualifying model-improvement data, not a general retention period for all Claude chats. |
| Gemini Apps (Google) | Google says chats reviewed by human reviewers and related data may be retained for up to three years. Google also says Gemini activity is not used to show ads. | For signed-in Gemini Apps, Google says auto-delete defaults to 18 months, with options for three months, 36 months, or indefinite retention. Chats reviewed by human reviewers and related data are not deleted when a user deletes Gemini activity. | Connected Google or third-party apps and work or school accounts may involve additional terms. |
| Poe | Poe says chat contents are shared with the underlying model provider. Its privacy center says official bots with a fully shaded shield are not used by those providers for training; third-party developer bots with a half-shaded shield may share content with developers or use conversations for training. | Poe says personal account details are not sent to providers unless users include identifying details in a conversation. A bot’s shield can change when permissions are granted. | Check the shield and disclosures for the particular bot; Poe’s rules are not identical across every bot. |
How to choose based on what you want to protect
- To reduce identifying metadata sent with a prompt: DuckDuckGo says Duck.ai strips information such as IP addresses before forwarding requests. The prompt itself still goes to a model provider.
- To protect saved conversation history from the service operator: Proton says Lumo uses zero-access encryption for saved conversations. That does not, by itself, establish encryption from the model during processing.
- To use an assistant inside a browser: Brave Leo is browser-integrated; account and local-history details differ between free and premium use.
- To avoid training use: inspect the exact product’s training policy and settings. “Not used for training” does not answer how long data is retained, whether it is reviewed, or which processors receive it.
- To use a multi-model interface: check the individual model or bot’s disclosure, not only the platform’s general policy. Poe’s shield indicates different permissions for official and third-party bots.
What “temporary,” “incognito,” and “delete” do not tell you
These labels are product-specific, not interchangeable privacy guarantees. OpenAI describes Temporary Chat as excluded from history, memory, and training. Anthropic says Incognito chats are excluded from model improvement, while separately describing a safety-review exception for consumer conversations. Google says some chats reviewed by human reviewers and related data can remain for up to three years and are not removed when a user deletes Gemini activity. Read the control’s explanation for the service you use; a control may address training or what appears in history without answering every retention or review question.
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