Who has access to files uploaded on biigle server?

[JuliaWielSekiou]

Is it safe to upload sensitive data on biigle server directly? Who can see these files once they are uploaded? What can they see exactly? Metadata only, or the actual images and videos?

[mzur]

If you upload the files as a storage request to biigle.de, the admins of the instance will review the storage request and see all of your data. The data is not encrypted, so whatever BIIGLE can access, the admins can also access. Other than that, you can control who will have access to the data via project memberships in BIIGLE. Please note that some kinds of "sensitive data" may not be allowed on biigle.de per the terms of use.

If this doesn't work for you, you can also host your own BIIGLE instance, so the data does not leave your own infrastructure.

[JuliaWielSekiou]

Thank you for your answer. How big is the admin team? Can the data leak out somehow? Do you have any internal rules for not sharing user data (uploaded files) internally or externally without the user consent?

[mzur]

Of course we don't just use or share your data. But we also can't give you any SLA/NDA-like guarantees, as biigle.de is provided for free on a best effort basis. If you have these concerns, a self-hosted BIIGLE instance may be a better fit for you.