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Anytype and sovereign note‑taking

TL;DR:

Anytype = a local‑first knowledge management application

  • Data is first stored on the user’s devices.
  • Fully functional offline operation is possible.

Security and privacy

  • End‑to‑end encryption (E2EE): data is encrypted before leaving the device.
  • Zero‑knowledge model: encryption keys remain in the user''s hands.
  • Synchronization or backup nodes only see encrypted data.

Licenses and transparency

  • Protocols (any‑sync, etc.): open source (MIT), auditable.
  • Applications (desktop, mobile): source available (visible code, but proprietary licence with restrictions on commercial use).

Comparison with Notion / Evernote

  • Notion and Evernote rely on centralized clouds (AWS, Google Cloud) subject to foreign jurisdictions.
  • No end‑to‑end encryption: providers can, in theory, access data in cleartext.
  • Anytype greatly reduces this exposure by keeping the keys with the user.

Connection with digital sovereignty (Quebec / Canada)

  • Context of dependence on American infrastructures (Cloud Act, extraterritorial laws).
  • Growing need to control the hosting, access and lifecycle of data.
  • Anytype fits into a process of reclaiming control: data localized, encrypted, unreadable by third parties.

Connection with Law 25

  • Facilitates the justification of security measures in EFVPs.
  • Reduces the risks associated with incidents at an external provider (no data in cleartext on their servers).
  • Helps demonstrate a proactive approach to protecting personal information.

Typical use cases

  • Service SMEs: internal documentation, non‑critical client files, meeting notes, procedures.
  • NPOs: governance, internal guides, projects, management of sensitive information.
  • Self‑employed workers / professionals: confidential notes, journals, personal knowledge base.

Current limitations

  • Collaboration and integrations less advanced than Notion.
  • Ecosystem in development; requires some tolerance for the platform’s evolution.

In summary

  • Anytype is a structuring solution for organizations wishing to strengthen their digital sovereignty, reduce legal risks and improve their compliance posture (Law 25), while keeping a modern tool to organize their knowledge.

We talked about Anytype some time ago! Want to read that article first? Here it is! Anytype, the “second brain” open‑core: between sovereignty and pragmatism

Anytype, the “second brain” open‑core: between sovereignty and pragmatism

Introduction

The digital transformation of organizations has accelerated over the past ten years, and with it a growing dependence on cloud platforms such as Notion, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or Evernote. Although efficient, these solutions almost always rely on foreign infrastructures, often located in the United States and subject to their national laws. In a context where the protection of personal information has become a strategic, legal and geopolitical issue, the question is no longer simply: “Which tool is most convenient?” but rather: “Which tool allows us to remain masters of our data?”

It is in this context that Anytype emerges, a knowledge management and personal/collective organization app built on a local‑first architecture, strongly oriented toward privacy and end‑to‑end encryption. Unlike tools based on centralized cloud, Anytype relies on a radically different approach: data is first and foremost stored on users’ devices, encrypted locally and synchronized only in encrypted form.

For SMEs, nonprofits and individuals in Quebec, this approach is of particular interest, notably because of Law 25, growing security requirements, and the collective awareness of digital sovereignty.

This guide aims to provide a clear, educational and non‑technical view of the role that Anytype can play in this transition.

1. Understanding Anytype: a local‑first, privacy‑oriented application

1.1. Nature and philosophy of the platform

Anytype is a versatile application that allows you to:

  • take notes;
  • structure projects;
  • create simple databases;
  • create internal wikis;
  • document processes;
  • organize your personal or professional information.

Its visual interface is similar to Notion or Affine, with pages composed of blocks, lightweight databases, views (tables, lists, kanban boards), and organization templates. However, the platform’s technical architecture and philosophy differ profoundly.

Anytype is based on three fundamental pillars:

  • Local‑first: data is first stored locally on the user’s device.
  • End‑to‑end encryption (E2EE) and zero‑knowledge model: encryption keys are generated locally and never leave the user’s device.
  • Peer‑to‑peer (P2P) synchronization via an open‑source protocol, with no transmission of data in cleartext.

The aim is simple: to allow users to benefit from a modern knowledge‑management tool without giving up control of their data.

1.2. A local‑first architecture to reduce dependence on the cloud

Most popular productivity tools work like this:

  • the user enters content;
  • the application immediately sends it to the cloud;
  • the provider’s servers store the main copy;
  • the user then consults the data from the cloud.

In Anytype, this logic is reversed:

  • the primary copy of each piece of data is stored on the device;
  • synchronization is only a complement, not a dependency;
  • data is never transmitted in cleartext.

This architecture has two direct consequences:

  • Complete offline use: users can work without an Internet connection, which is particularly useful for organizations in rural areas, mobile teams or sensitive environments where network access is limited.
  • Radical reduction of the risk associated with external hosting: even if a synchronization server were compromised, the data it contains would remain unreadable without the keys held by the user.

1.3. End‑to‑end encryption: a zero‑knowledge model

From a non‑technical point of view, Anytype’s end‑to‑end encryption can be summarized as follows:

  • each document, image, note or database is encrypted before leaving the device;
  • the keys are generated and stored locally;
  • the servers have no decryption keys.

From this comes a strong guarantee: neither the Anytype company, nor a hosting provider, nor a foreign authority can access your data in cleartext.

This characteristic sets Anytype apart from the vast majority of cloud solutions, even those that encrypt data “at rest,” but keep the keys on the server side.

1.4. Licences and transparency: open source vs “source available”

Contrary to some popular belief, Anytype is not entirely open source.

  • The fundamental protocols used for data synchronization and structuring (any‑sync, any‑block, etc.) are published under the MIT licence, a very permissive open‑source licence.
  • The client applications (mobile, desktop) are published as source available, under a permissive proprietary licence called the “Any Source Available License.”

This licence allows:

  • access to the source code;
  • independent audits;
  • inspection of security mechanisms;

... while prohibiting certain commercial uses (notably the direct reuse of the code for a competing service).

This places Anytype in an intermediate position:

transparent, but not totally free.

For SMEs and nonprofits, this transparency is an asset, as it allows them to verify how data is handled, without the limitations of a completely proprietary black box.

2. Digital sovereignty in the Quebec and Canadian context

2.1. A growing concern

Digital sovereignty refers to the ability of a society, government or organization to:

  • control the hosting of its data;
  • control access to this data;
  • define the processing rules in accordance with its own laws and values.

In Canada, and particularly in Quebec, dependence on external digital infrastructures — mainly American — is now seen as a strategic risk.

Even when data is physically stored in Canada, if the infrastructure belongs to an American provider, it may be subject to extraterritorial laws such as:

  • the Cloud Act (United States);
  • the Patriot Act;
  • various legal disclosure obligations.

This phenomenon is amplified by the fact that almost all cloud giants are American:

  • Amazon Web Services
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Google Cloud Platform
  • Oracle Cloud
  • IBM Cloud

For an SME, a nonprofit or a professional, this means that sensitive data (clients, members, beneficiaries, internal records) can be exposed to foreign jurisdictions, even unintentionally.

2.2. Issues for Quebec organizations

The main risks identified:

  • Loss of control over data: using a proprietary cloud service means accepting that the master copy of the data resides on a server that does not belong to the organization.
  • Legal risk: a foreign legal request could — in theory — force a provider to provide access to unencrypted data or to the resources needed to decrypt it.
  • Lack of transparency: proprietary companies can unilaterally modify their privacy policies, architectures or hosting locations.
  • Partial incompatibility with certain local requirements, particularly in terms of consent, risk assessments and data retention.

In this context, local‑first or zero‑knowledge solutions like Anytype become particularly attractive, as they considerably reduce exposure to foreign infrastructures.

3. Law 25: obligations and implications for digital tools

3.1. General principles

Law 25 modernizes Quebec''s laws on the protection of personal information. It imposes, among other things:

  • the appointment of a person responsible for the protection of personal information;
  • the keeping of an incident register;
  • obligations to notify the CAI in the event of an incident;
  • the adoption of governance policies and data management practices;
  • privacy impact assessments (EFVP) for any project involving sensitive technologies or a transfer of data outside Quebec;
  • the recognition of the right to be forgotten and data portability.

Penalties can reach $10 million or 2% of global revenue.

3.2. Choice of tools and EFVP

Whenever an organization chooses a tool:

  • for note‑taking,
  • for client management,
  • for document management,
  • or collaboration,

it must, under Law 25:

  • assess the risks;
  • document the security measures;
  • ensure that the transfer outside Quebec does not weaken the protection afforded to data.

A centralized tool like Notion, even though useful, implies:

  • hosting on AWS (United States or EU);
  • the absence of end‑to‑end encryption;
  • data accessible by the provider in case of a legal requirement;
  • the need to carry out a full EFVP in the case of personal data.

Conversely, an E2EE solution like Anytype:

  • reduces exposure to external providers;
  • provides strong justification in the context of an EFVP;
  • drastically reduces the risks of incidents involving a third party;
  • makes it easier to comply with rules relating to transfers outside Quebec.

4. Detailed comparison: Anytype, Notion, Evernote and other alternatives

The following table compares the main relevant features for an organization.

4.1. Comparison table

4.2. In‑depth comparison

Anytype: key advantages

  • total control of encryption;
  • ability to operate without a network;
  • transparent and auditable protocol;
  • no dependence on a central server;
  • excellent choice for sensitive notes, internal wikis, journals, technical or strategic documentation.

Notion: strengths and limitations

  • very advanced collaboration;
  • mature and rich interface;
  • vast ecosystem of integrations;
  • but total dependence on AWS cloud, data accessible to the provider.

Evernote: strengths and limitations

  • powerful search engine;
  • well‑known and stable platform;
  • but centralized cloud architecture, no E2EE encryption, dependence on GCP (United States).

5. Concrete use cases for Quebec organizations

5.1. Professional services SMEs

Anytype makes it possible to:

  • document internal processes;
  • keep meeting notes;
  • structure client files;
  • organize to‑do lists or mini‑projects.

E2EE encryption reduces the risks associated with external leaks, and offline mode is valuable for field teams.

5.2. Nonprofits handling sensitive data

A nonprofit that supports vulnerable populations could use Anytype to:

  • manage internal projects;
  • document governance;
  • keep internal guides;
  • structure community initiatives.

For very sensitive data, it is possible to use additional encryption or to keep certain information locally only, reinforcing the compliance posture.

5.3. Self‑employed and liberal professionals

For self‑employed workers handling confidential notes:

  • psychology,
  • coaching,
  • law,
  • social work,
  • accounting,

Anytype is a very secure alternative to cloud tools.

6. Conclusion: a solution aligned with the new imperatives of sovereignty

Anytype will not replace all collaborative cloud platforms, and its ecosystem is still developing. However, its local‑first architecture, end‑to‑end encryption and transparency make it a solution aligned with current digital sovereignty issues in Quebec.

In a context where Law 25 imposes strict documentation, rigorous risk analysis and maximum reduction of exposure to third parties, Anytype offers strong guarantees:

  • total control of the keys;
  • reduction of risks related to foreign providers;
  • offline operation ensured;
  • built‑in compliance support.

For organizations seeking a balance between flexibility, security, privacy and sovereignty, Anytype is a particularly worthy option.

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