# Keep other people's data out of your AI

Practice ID: 47
Topic: `ai` (AI: Boundaries that keep AI useful without surrendering sensitive context, memory, or system access.)
Added: 2026-10-29
Journey entry point: `reclaim` (Give the technology you keep a clear role, limits, and routines.)
Start with: `quick-win` (quick win)
Supports: `privacy-clarity` (privacy clarity; group: `digital-control` / My data and digital setup), `visible-ai-boundaries` (AI with visible, owned boundaries; group: `ai-boundaries` / My use of AI)

## Pattern

Your messages, contacts, photos, and email are full of other people, and they never agreed to an AI reading them.

## Practice

Before you connect an AI assistant to your messages, contacts, email, or photos, think about whose data it would reach. Keep those sources off by default. When you need help with a conversation, share only your side of it, or remove names and details first.

## Start small

Check whether one AI app on your phone can read your contacts or messages, and turn that access off.

## Watch out

Setup screens often push you to connect everything at once. Check what each switch grants before you accept.

## Related practices

- [Use private AI for sensitive topics](https://live.freewithtech.com/practices/use-private-ai-for-sensitive-topics.md)
- [Grant apps limited access](https://live.freewithtech.com/practices/grant-apps-limited-access.md)
- [Keep AI agents away from your personal data](https://live.freewithtech.com/practices/keep-ai-agents-away-from-your-personal-data.md)

## Concepts

- [least access](https://live.freewithtech.com/concepts/least-access.md): Apps, websites, and services get only the access the task needs. Trackers get none.

## Positions

See how these practices fit together: [Keep AI on your terms](https://live.freewithtech.com/by/keeping-ai-on-your-terms.md).

## Continue

- [Browse AI practices.](https://live.freewithtech.com/?topic=ai)
- [Journey](https://live.freewithtech.com/journey.md)
- [Concepts](https://live.freewithtech.com/concepts.md)
- [Complete agent-readable database](https://live.freewithtech.com/llms.txt)