Are online file converters safe?

For everyday, non-sensitive files, reputable online converters are generally fine. The point to understand is simple: the file is uploaded to someone else’s server, and what happens to it afterwards depends on that service. For contracts, IDs, financial and medical documents, there is no reason to make that copy at all. Convert or compress them on your Mac instead: with FileMate, the file never leaves your computer.

FileMate processes files on your Mac. No upload, no copy on a server.

What happens when you upload a file

The file is sent over the internet to the service’s servers, usually encrypted in transit.
It’s stored there while it’s processed, sometimes by a third-party cloud provider.
The result is stored until you download it.
Both are deleted when the service’s policy says so: after an hour, a day, or longer.

None of that is sinister. It’s simply how a web service works: to process the file, it has to have it.

What to check before uploading

Retention. How long does the service keep uploads, and does it say so clearly?
Use. Does the privacy policy allow it to use uploads for anything else, such as improving its services?
Location. Where are the servers, and which laws apply to them?
Who runs it. Is there a company name and a contact address?

Files that shouldn’t go to a converter

Passports, ID cards, driving licences and visas
Bank statements, payslips, tax returns and invoices
Contracts and anything signed
Medical records
Client files, and anything under an NDA or professional confidentiality
Photos with location data, or of children

These are exactly the files that most often end up too large for an upload portal, because they’re scans.

The alternative: do it on your Mac

A Mac can do much of this with no upload. Preview compresses PDFs and converts images, one at a time. Pages, Numbers and Keynote export Office documents as PDF. FileMate puts compress, convert and merge for PDFs, images, Office documents, video and audio into Finder’s right-click menu, and processes everything locally.

Is FileMate itself safe?

FileMate is a signed and notarized Mac app. It never sends files or information about them anywhere, has no account and no analytics or telemetry in the app, and works offline after a one-time licence activation. Originals are never modified. See the privacy policy for the details.