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Outline Foundation Data Collection Policy

Last updated: March 2, 2026

Outline is developed and maintained by Outline Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization. This Data Collection Policy explains what information Outline collects, how it is used, and the limited circumstances in which it is shared.

Our goal is to design and operate Outline in a way that minimizes data collection, protects user privacy, and makes data practices clear and auditable.

Overview​

Outline is software that allows people and organizations to set up and manage their own VPN servers. Outline Foundation does not operate VPN servers on behalf of users and does not route or inspect user traffic.

As a result:

  • Outline Foundation does not collect browsing history
  • Outline Foundation does not log VPN traffic
  • Outline Foundation does not know what content is sent through Outline servers
  • Outline Foundation does not collect personal information unless you explicitly choose to provide it

Information Outline Does Not Collect​

  • Outline Foundation does not collect:
  • Websites you visit
  • Content of communications
  • DNS queries
  • IP addresses of end users connecting to an Outline server
  • Account credentials for third-party cloud providers
  • Payment or billing information

If you use a third-party cloud provider to host your Outline server, any information you provide to that provider (such as name, email address, billing details, or payment information) is governed solely by that provider’s privacy policy. The Outline Foundation does not receive that information.

Information Collected Automatically​

Outline Foundation collects a limited amount of technical information strictly for security, stability, and maintenance purposes.

1. Outline Server IP Address​

When an Outline server checks for software updates, the server IP address may be visible to the container registry used to distribute updates (currently Quay.io). This information may indicate:

  • The cloud hosting provider
  • The city or region where the server is located

This information does not identify:

  • The server administrator
  • Individual users
  • Devices connecting to the server

Outline Foundation uses this information only to ensure secure and reliable delivery of software updates.

2. Non-Personally Identifiable Technical Information​

If an Outline application crashes, encounters a fatal exception, or if you manually submit feedback, limited diagnostic information may be collected to help identify and fix problems.

This information may include:

  • Country
  • Locale
  • Date and time of the crash or exception
  • Recent application events (e.g., opening a settings screen)
  • Application version and build number
  • Operating system name and version
  • Device model (if applicable)
  • Browser and system architecture

This information does not include:

  • VPN traffic
  • Content of communications
  • IP addresses of end users
  • Account identifiers

Crash and error reports are transmitted securely using HTTPS to Sentry, an open-source error tracking service. Access to this data is restricted to authorized members of the Outline team. For more information, see Sentry’s privacy and security documentation, or contact [email protected]

Information Collected with Explicit Opt-In Only​

Outline collects the following information **only **if a server administrator explicitly enables sharing.

1. Anonymous Usage Metrics​

Each Outline server locally calculates aggregated usage statistics on a per-access-key basis for the previous hour. These metrics may include:

  • Total bytes transferred
  • Duration of connections
  • Country and autonomous system of origin
  • Whether specific features are enabled or disabled

These metrics:

  • Are tied to a randomly generated server ID
  • Do not include content of communications
  • Do not include user identities, emails, logins, or device identifiers

By default, these metrics are not shared with the Outline Foundation.

If a server administrator opts in, the metrics are securely transmitted to Outline Foundation once per hour. After 60 days, metrics are aggregated to the country level.

Server administrators can enable or disable usage metrics sharing at any time through the Outline Manager.

We use aggregated metrics to:

  • Understand usage trends
  • Improve performance and reliability
  • Prioritize feature development

We appreciate you sharing with us anonymous metrics about your server usage, as we use them to measure usage trends and to improve the product.

2. Feedback Submissions​

Outline Manager and Outline Applications allow users to submit feedback directly to the Outline team.

If you submit feedback:

  • You may optionally provide an email address if you want a response
  • We recommend not including personal or sensitive information

Along with your message, we may collect limited technical context (as described above) to help us understand and address your feedback.

Providing feedback is entirely voluntary.

Beta Software​

If you use a beta version of Outline software, additional diagnostic information may be collected to help identify issues prior to release. Where applicable, this information is clearly disclosed within the beta program.

If you prefer not to share beta diagnostic data, please use the stable production version of Outline.

Data Security​

Outline Foundation uses industry-standard security practices to protect the limited data it processes, including:

  • Encryption in transit
  • Access controls
  • Principle of least privilege
  • Minimal data retention

We do not sell, rent, or monetize user data.

Data Retention​

Outline Foundation retains collected data only for as long as necessary to:

  • Maintain software functionality
  • Diagnose and resolve technical issues
  • Produce aggregated, non-identifying statistics

We periodically review and delete data that is no longer needed.

Third-Party Services​

Outline software may interact with third-party services for specific functions (such as error reporting or server hosting). These services operate under their own privacy policies.

Outline Foundation carefully evaluates third-party services and seeks to use providers aligned with our privacy-first principles.

Changes to This Policy​

If we make material changes to this Data Collection Policy, we will update the “Last updated” date and publish the revised policy on our website.

Contact​

If you have questions about this Data Collection Policy or Outline’s privacy practices, you can contact Outline Foundation: