Server-side Encryption and Evernote Alternative

[xfactor 2]

I have a few questions...

Is my data protected by any encryption while stored on EN's servers be default?

Under what conditions does EN access my plaintext data? 

Under what conditions does EN access and use my search information? 

Yesterday's (Sep 28th 2022) search issue, where I could not search my notes locally, raised a couple of eyebrows. My local searches are going to EN's server first. The question is WHY?

I understand I can encryption data I store in EN. That's not the question I'm asking. 

Services like Dropbox, encryption data stored on their servers, and still provide search, etc. Are there alternatives to EN that support privacy and encryption?

[PinkElephant 8,091]

Read - think - come back if there are open questions:

https://evernote.com/security

[Boot17 1,446]

I second reading the info provided at https://evernote.com/security

I think any service that provides server side indexing (on text, pdfs, etc) and OCR on images has access to read your data.

@xfactor Since you mentioned Dropbox: "Simply put, if security is your main concern, you should look at our list of the best Dropbox alternatives. This is because Dropbox retains the right to access your information, and it can do this because the encryption isn’t zero-knowledge." from https://www.cloudwards.net/dropbox-security/ (From June 2021)

[Dave-in-Decatur 3,950]

7 hours ago, xfactor said:

 Under what conditions does EN access my plaintext data? 

Under what conditions does EN access and use my search information?

I think "access" needs to be carefully understood here. If it means "run automated programs against my data in order to OCR attachments, index, and do searches, etc.," then, yes, it happens under those conditions. If it means "individual Evernote staff reading my notes," then no, that doesn't happen without your permission (such as when you need support to help with a problem with specific notes).

[PinkElephant 8,091]

Just to add one aspect: Some apps use an automated process to generate anonymized information about users, and sell it to interested parties. You may note it when an app shows ads that somehow seem to be related to your use of the app (like weather apps showing ads from the location of use).

EN does not sell user data, not even anonymized. This is true even for the Free account - this is the account type where stuff like that usually happens. With EN it does not happen, user data is only accessed by bots (programs) to perform actions that enrich the users own data with additional information, mostly to make content fully searchable and to produce notifications on reminders and tasks.