diff --git a/surfaces/gui/e2e/cloud.spec.ts b/surfaces/gui/e2e/cloud.spec.ts
index 4ec0bcc1..5d73a61c 100644
--- a/surfaces/gui/e2e/cloud.spec.ts
+++ b/surfaces/gui/e2e/cloud.spec.ts
@@ -63,23 +63,19 @@ test("signed in: account row shows the name; one-click appears; sign out from th
   await expect(page.getByTestId("account-row")).toContainText("Not signed in");
 });
 
-test("telemetry toggle: lives in Settings, signed-in only, default on, opt-out round-trips", async ({
+test("telemetry/Privacy card is gone from Settings (owner ask 2026-07-22), signed in or out", async ({
   page,
 }) => {
-  // Signed out: Settings has no toggle at all — nothing is sent, nothing to configure.
   await page.goto("/");
   await page.getByTestId("account-row").click();
   await page.getByTestId("account-menu").getByRole("button", { name: "Settings" }).click();
   await expect(page.getByRole("heading", { name: "General" })).toBeVisible();
   await expect(page.getByTestId("telemetry-toggle")).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(page.getByText("Privacy", { exact: true })).toHaveCount(0);
 
   await signIn(page);
   await page.getByTestId("account-row").click();
   await page.getByTestId("account-menu").getByRole("button", { name: "Settings" }).click();
-  const toggle = page.getByTestId("telemetry-toggle");
-  await expect(toggle).toBeChecked({ timeout: 10_000 }); // default-on when signed in
-  await expect(page.getByText("never your prompts, files, or connector")).toBeVisible();
-
-  await toggle.uncheck();
-  await expect(toggle).not.toBeChecked(); // survives the status re-fetch (persisted)
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("telemetry-toggle")).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(page.getByText("Privacy", { exact: true })).toHaveCount(0);
 });
diff --git a/surfaces/gui/e2e/composer.spec.ts b/surfaces/gui/e2e/composer.spec.ts
index a90f365d..56c9b8d2 100644
--- a/surfaces/gui/e2e/composer.spec.ts
+++ b/surfaces/gui/e2e/composer.spec.ts
@@ -25,12 +25,13 @@ test("composer: send-gating, + attach menu, Mode menu", async ({ page }) => {
   await page.locator(".fixed.inset-0.z-30").click();
   await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Photo or image" })).toHaveCount(0);
 
-  // Mode menu (workspace personas only): the five permission options with the current one
-  // marked, plus the Unattended/send-to-Inbox toggle at the bottom (§22).
+  // Mode menu: the three shipped permission options with the current one marked, plus the
+  // Unattended/send-to-Inbox toggle (§22). Plan + Custom hidden for this release (2026-07-22).
   await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Mode", exact: true }).click();
   const menu = page.getByTestId("mode-menu");
   await expect(menu.getByText("Discuss")).toBeVisible();
-  await expect(menu.getByText("Explore read-only, propose a plan")).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(menu.getByText("Plan", { exact: true })).toHaveCount(0);
+  await expect(menu.getByText("Custom", { exact: true })).toHaveCount(0);
   // The current mode is marked with a ✓.
   await expect(menu.locator("button").filter({ hasText: "Ask for approval" })).toContainText("✓");
   await expect(menu.getByRole("switch", { name: "Send approvals to the Inbox" })).toBeVisible();
diff --git a/surfaces/gui/e2e/session-shell.spec.ts b/surfaces/gui/e2e/session-shell.spec.ts
index 39389a52..0156c87a 100644
--- a/surfaces/gui/e2e/session-shell.spec.ts
+++ b/surfaces/gui/e2e/session-shell.spec.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ test("top-left cluster renders only while the sidebar is collapsed", async ({ pa
   await expect(page.getByTestId("topbar-cluster")).toHaveCount(0);
 });
 
-test("facts subtitle: absent on a fresh session, persona · model after the first turn; click → persona page", async ({
+test("facts subtitle: absent on a fresh session, model-only after the first turn, inert", async ({
   page,
 }) => {
   await page.goto("/");
@@ -51,14 +51,13 @@ test("facts subtitle: absent on a fresh session, persona · model after the firs
   await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Send" }).click();
   await expect(page.getByText(/Echo: hello/)).toBeVisible();
 
+  // Model only — no persona name (owner ask 2026-07-22: personas are hidden this release),
+  // and the subtitle is a plain fact line, not a button to the persona page.
   const sub = page.getByTestId("session-subtitle");
-  await expect(sub).toContainText("Coworker · Claude Opus 4.8");
+  await expect(sub).toHaveText("Claude Opus 4.8");
   await expect(page.locator(".dd").filter({ hasText: "Claude Opus 4.8" })).toBeVisible();
-
-  // The subtitle is the session's fixed facts — clicking it opens the coworker (persona) page,
-  // replacing the old topbar sliders button.
   await sub.click();
-  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Back", exact: true })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Back", exact: true })).toHaveCount(0);
 });
 
 test("composer is three controls (+ attach · Mode · send); folder and branch chips are gone", async ({
diff --git a/surfaces/gui/src/App.tsx b/surfaces/gui/src/App.tsx
index 9ae5e0d2..94195b7b 100644
--- a/surfaces/gui/src/App.tsx
+++ b/surfaces/gui/src/App.tsx
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import {
   type SurfaceVisibility,
 } from "./api";
 import type { ApprovalDecision, Attachment, Item, SessionInfo, TodoItem, WsEvent } from "./types";
-import { isProjectScoped, shortPersonaName } from "./personaScope";
+import { isProjectScoped } from "./personaScope";
 import { baseName } from "./paths";
 import { itemsFromMessages } from "./itemsFromMessages";
 import { streamMode } from "./streamGate";
@@ -1076,9 +1076,7 @@ export function App() {
   const pendingDirReq = [...items].reverse().find((i) => i.kind === "dirreq" && !i.resolved);
   const pendingPlan = [...items].reverse().find((i) => i.kind === "planreq" && !i.resolved);
   const pendingQuestion = [...items].reverse().find((i) => i.kind === "question" && !i.resolved);
-  // Topbar trim: the active persona's short display name (mock's "· SRE persona").
-  const personaName = shortPersonaName(personaOf(agent)?.name, agent);
-  // Facts subtitle (§22): the session's FIXED facts, not controls — persona · model (+ the
+  // Facts subtitle (§22): the session's FIXED facts, not controls — model (+ the
   // workspace folder for project-scoped sessions). Renders only once the session has history;
   // until then the model is still choosable in the composer, so there's no locked fact to state.
   const hasHistory = items.length > 0;
@@ -1087,7 +1085,9 @@ export function App() {
   const modelDisplay =
     modelLabels[model]?.split(" · ")[0] ||
     (model.includes(":") ? model.split(":").slice(1).join(":") : model);
-  const subtitleParts = [personaName, modelDisplay];
+  // Persona name dropped for this release (owner ask 2026-07-22): personas are hidden,
+  // so "Coworker" read as noise. The model (+ project folder) are the real fixed facts.
+  const subtitleParts = [modelDisplay];
   if (isProjectScoped(personaOf(agent)) && workspace) subtitleParts.push(baseName(workspace));
   const activeInfo = sessions.find((s) => s.session_id === sessionId);
   const activeTitle = activeInfo?.title || "New session";
@@ -1343,16 +1343,12 @@ export function App() {
             >
               {activeTitle}
             </span>
+            {/* Plain facts, no affordance: the persona page it used to open is hidden for
+                this release (owner ask 2026-07-22). */}
             {hasHistory && (
-              <button
-                className="title-sub"
-                data-testid="session-subtitle"
-                onMouseDown={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
-                onClick={agent !== "chat" ? () => openPersona(agent, "session") : undefined}
-                title={agent !== "chat" ? "About this coworker" : undefined}
-              >
+              <span className="title-sub" data-testid="session-subtitle">
                 {subtitleParts.join(" · ")}
-              </button>
+              </span>
             )}
           </div>
           {/* Right: session-settings icon (§23) + panel toggle. Model/mode/persona chrome is
diff --git a/surfaces/gui/src/components/Composer.tsx b/surfaces/gui/src/components/Composer.tsx
index 894c892e..852e4d6f 100644
--- a/surfaces/gui/src/components/Composer.tsx
+++ b/surfaces/gui/src/components/Composer.tsx
@@ -15,12 +15,14 @@ import {
   type DictationStatus,
 } from "../tauri";
 
+// Plan + Custom hidden for this release (owner ask 2026-07-22): Plan's approval flow isn't
+// polished enough to ship, and Custom (config.toml auto-allow rules) is a power-user mode
+// with no in-app explanation. The server still honors both — a session already in one of
+// those modes keeps working; the picker just doesn't offer them.
 const PERMISSION_OPTIONS: Option[] = [
   { value: "discuss", label: "Discuss", description: "Chat and explore — no edits or commands" },
-  { value: "plan", label: "Plan", description: "Explore read-only, propose a plan for approval, then build" },
   { value: "interactive", label: "Ask for approval", description: "Ask before edits and commands" },
   { value: "auto", label: "Full access", description: "Run everything without asking" },
-  { value: "custom", label: "Custom", description: "Use auto-allow rules from config.toml" },
 ];
 
 // No hardcoded model fallback: until the server supplies the list (a few seconds after a
diff --git a/surfaces/gui/src/components/SettingsView.tsx b/surfaces/gui/src/components/SettingsView.tsx
index ecb686b8..6ee9f54e 100644
--- a/surfaces/gui/src/components/SettingsView.tsx
+++ b/surfaces/gui/src/components/SettingsView.tsx
@@ -1,14 +1,10 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import {
-  CLOUD_CHANGED,
-  getCloudStatus,
   getSettings,
-  setCloudTelemetry,
   setOnboarded,
   setPdfSettings,
   setScratchBase,
   setSessionsPeek,
-  type CloudStatus,
   type ModelSettings,
   type PdfSettings,
 } from "../api";
@@ -428,8 +424,6 @@ function AppearanceSection() {
 
       <FilesCard />
 
-      <TelemetryCard />
-
       {desktop && (
         <div className={CARD + " p-4"}>
           <div className={FIELD_LABEL + " mb-2.5"}>Always-on</div>
@@ -524,46 +518,8 @@ function UpdateInline() {
   );
 }
 
-// -- Telemetry (moved here from the retired Connectors-page cloud strip, §26) -----
-function TelemetryCard() {
-  const [cloud, setCloud] = useState<CloudStatus | null>(null);
-  const [telemetry, setTelemetry] = useState<boolean | null>(null);
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const load = () => getCloudStatus().then(setCloud).catch(() => {});
-    load();
-    // Sign-in/out lands out-of-band (browser flow, account row) — refetch on the announce.
-    window.addEventListener(CLOUD_CHANGED, load);
-    return () => window.removeEventListener(CLOUD_CHANGED, load);
-  }, []);
-
-  // Signed out there is nothing to toggle — telemetry is a no-op without a cloud session.
-  if (!cloud?.signed_in) return null;
-  return (
-    <div className={CARD + " p-4 mb-4"}>
-      <div className={FIELD_LABEL + " mb-2.5"}>Privacy</div>
-      <label className="flex items-start gap-3 py-1 select-none">
-        <input
-          type="checkbox"
-          className="mt-0.5"
-          checked={telemetry ?? cloud.telemetry_enabled !== false}
-          data-testid="telemetry-toggle"
-          onChange={async (e) => {
-            setTelemetry(e.target.checked);
-            await setCloudTelemetry(e.target.checked);
-          }}
-        />
-        <span>
-          <span className="block text-[13px] text-ink">Help improve OpenWorker</span>
-          <span className="block text-[12px] text-muted">
-            Which coworker type was started and when; never your prompts, files, or connector
-            data. Signed-out installs send nothing regardless.
-          </span>
-        </span>
-      </label>
-    </div>
-  );
-}
+// Telemetry/Privacy card removed for this release (owner ask 2026-07-22); the
+// setCloudTelemetry API stays for a future opt-out surface.
 
 // -- Sidebar density -------------------------------------------------------------
 // -- Token savings (PDF attachments; owner ask, 2026-07-17) ---------------------