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Where Scava stores your data - EU or US, export and deletion
Scava stores the data of apps in the European Union by default. The person who builds apps can choose the US for new apps instead. This page says what is stored where, who provides the infrastructure, how to export your data and what happens when you delete an app or an account.
Where the data is #
| What | Where |
|---|---|
Entries of an app (scava.db) | At the place chosen for the app: EU or US |
| Files of an app and uploaded files | At the place chosen for the app |
| Heavy-work containers of an app | At the place chosen for the app |
| Accounts, sign-ins, shares, groups, change requests, logs, plan and usage | Always the EU |
| Sign-in codes and notification emails | Sent by an email provider in the EU (Lettermint, Netherlands) |
The default is the EU. Every app that exists keeps its place. The owner of an account sets the rule Where new apps keep their data on the Overview page, in the browser. The rule applies to apps created after it is set. An existing app does not move, because a half-finished move would be worse than none. To place a tool somewhere else, create it again. See House rules.
The app page and the Overview page show "Data in the EU" or "Data in the US" for each app.
What the choice means #
- EU. Scava uses the jurisdiction setting of its infrastructure provider, which commits the storage of entries and files to the EU.
- US. The provider has no equivalent jurisdiction setting for the US. Scava asks for North America as a location preference, which the provider treats as a preference and not as a promise. The user interface says so when you choose it.
- Never silent. If the US storage is not available, an app that should be in the US shows an error instead of writing to the EU. An app in the EU never writes to the US storage.
- Code runs near the visitor. The code that serves a request runs at a provider location near the visitor, which can be outside the region. What is stored at rest stays at the chosen place.
The providers #
Scava runs on Cloudflare, which is a US company. Cloudflare provides hosting, databases, file storage, the network and, for apps that use AI, a gateway. Transfers to the US are covered by the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and standard contractual clauses.
| Provider | For what |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare, Inc. (USA) | Hosting, database, files, network, AI gateway |
| Lettermint B.V. (Netherlands) | Delivery of email |
| Stripe | Payments by the people who build apps |
| Only for people who choose "Continue with Google": email address and name |
An app that uses env.SCAVA.ai() sends its prompts to the AI provider of the owner's choice. Where that provider processes the data is up to that provider; the house rule "AI in apps: EU only" restricts the choice.
Data processing agreement #
Scava publishes a data processing agreement under Article 28 GDPR at /dpa on scava.ai. The person who builds apps is the controller of what is stored in them, and Scava is the processor. The agreement lists the technical and organizational measures and the subprocessors above, and states that Scava informs customers at least 30 days before adding or replacing a subprocessor. The privacy notice at /privacy describes what Scava stores about accounts and sign-ins.
Export #
The owner of an app can download everything it holds, from the app page: one ZIP with the files of the live version, every collection of entries as JSON, every uploaded file and a short README.
- Only the owner, only in the browser.
- The sign-in must be from the last 12 hours; an older one is asked to sign in again first.
- Rules per field do not apply to the export. The owner is responsible for all data of the app.
- The ZIP is streamed and not compressed. 10 exports per app and hour are allowed.
- Every export is recorded in the log Scava keeps of important actions.
Delete an app #
The owner can delete an app on its page. This removes the versions, entries, uploaded files, server code and own address of the app.
Delete an account #
Under your address in the top right at scava.ai, "Your account" lets you delete the account.
- It works only in the browser. An agent can neither read nor delete the account.
- You type your address again, and the sign-in must be from the last hour.
- A running subscription must be canceled first, so a deleted account is not charged again.
- Deleted: all apps of the account with entries, files, server code and own addresses; groups, house rules, sign-ins and connected agents; your role as co-editor in other people's apps; open access requests; the email record for your address. A last email "Your Scava account was deleted" goes out, so that a deletion by someone else is noticed.
- Stays: what other people hold in their apps, such as entries you created, shares with your address and groups. The owners of those apps are responsible for them. In Scava's own records (activity log, reports, requests, who published a version, warnings) your address is replaced by "deleted account".
- Email stops: after that, your address gets no more invitations, co-editor mails or mails from apps, even if someone shares an app with it. Scava keeps only a hash of the address for this. Signing in again ends it, and sign-in codes still go out when someone asks for one.
- A blocked account can be deleted only by a Scava administrator. A hash of its address stays, so the address cannot sign up again.
Sign-ins end after 7 days without use. The activity log is kept for one year.
Questions #
Write to info@scava.ai. You can also complain to the Austrian data protection authority.