“Own your data” is not a sticker — it is a habit stack: know where the canonical copy is, export periodically, encrypt backups that leave your home, and assume any sync you did not configure yourself is someone else’s product thesis.
Browser profiles die to OS reinstalls; disks fail. If it matters, script an export (many Coffee Storage apps support export paths) or copy the on-disk vault folder if you run Coffee Server. Test restores — an untested backup is a wish.
Open formats (JSON, Markdown, SQLite files you can copy) beat opaque blobs locked in one vendor’s reader. Coffee biases toward inspectable artifacts in-repo for exactly that reason — even when polish is still uneven, you should be able to find your bits.
Recap: corporate cloud ⇒ their farms, their custody. Coffee browser apps ⇒ your profile. Coffee Server / home cloud ⇒ your path. Pick layers deliberately; use hosted services when the trade is worth it — just know which room your master copy sleeps in.