Answers to the most important questions regarding the SOWA Privacy architecture.
No. SOWA Privacy operates on the zero-trust principle as a pure client-side application (browser extension). There are no SOWA servers, no caching, and no cloud infrastructure. Data processing takes place 100% locally on the user's device.
SOWA Privacy is provider-agnostic. It acts as a proxy between the input window and the browser request, working by default with common web-based chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini without requiring any API integration.
Sensitive data classes (such as names, addresses, IBANs, medical diagnoses) are detected by local machine learning models on the device and translated into neutral tokens (e.g., [PERSON_1]) before transmission.
We provide the basic anonymization as open-source to ensure absolute transparency. The Enterprise version additionally offers Single Sign-On (SSO), central policy management for the entire organization, and audit reporting.
Yes. Since all data is processed exclusively on the user's device and no personal data is transmitted to third parties, SOWA Privacy meets GDPR requirements. Sensitive information is fully anonymized before being sent to the AI provider, making it impossible to trace back to real individuals.
SOWA Privacy is optimized for minimal resource usage. The local ML models are compact and run efficiently in the browser. Anonymization happens in real time — typically in under 100 milliseconds — so you won't notice any perceptible difference during use.
The Community version can be installed as a browser extension in minutes — no server setup or IT department required. For the Enterprise version, we offer a guided implementation with SSO integration, policy configuration, and employee onboarding, typically completed within 1–2 business days.
Yes. In the Enterprise version, administrators can centrally configure industry-specific data classes, custom detection patterns, and exception rules. This allows you to specifically protect internal project names, customer numbers, or medical terminology, for example.