CarbonWatch
CarbonWatch watches this machine's outgoing connections to known AI services and estimates their energy use and carbon footprint. No content is read, no administrator rights are required, and nothing leaves the machine until sharing is turned on in the settings — it is off by default.
For this machine
All systems
Format and size of the downloaded file.
On first launch
macOS — the application is not signed with an Apple developer account. The system holds it in quarantine on first launch: right-click CarbonWatch in Applications, choose “Open”, and confirm. Once only.
Windows — SmartScreen warns about any little-distributed executable: “More info”, then “Run anyway”.
Linux — the AppImage must be made executable (chmod +x) before its first launch. The .deb package installs normally.
What the application will ask you
On first launch, a single question: whether your estimate may join the global total. It is asked once, with the exact list of what would be sent and what is never sent, and a button to read the upload word for word before answering. “Not now” is a complete answer: nothing is sent, and the question is not asked again. The choice can be changed at any time in the settings, where you can also request erasure of everything already uploaded.
What happens next
The application checks for a newer version on launch and installs it on request. A package is rejected unless it is signed with the CarbonWatch key: a compromised server cannot deliver anything other than what was signed.
What leaves the machine on that occasion: your IP address and the installed version, as for any web page. The check can be turned off in the settings.