fix: respect CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED and user consent in telemetry

Fixes #4525 - Telemetry was being sent even when tracing was disabled.

Changes:
- Check CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED env var in _is_telemetry_disabled()
- Check has_user_declined_tracing() in _is_telemetry_disabled()
- Add regression tests for all disable mechanisms
- Fix env var leakage in existing telemetry test fixtures

Co-Authored-By: João <joao@crewai.com>

lib/crewai/src/crewai/telemetry/telemetry.py

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ from opentelemetry.trace import Span
 from typing_extensions import Self
 
 from crewai.events.event_bus import crewai_event_bus
+from crewai.events.listeners.tracing.utils import has_user_declined_tracing
 from crewai.events.types.system_events import (
     SigContEvent,
     SigHupEvent,
@@ -144,12 +145,30 @@ class Telemetry:
 
     @classmethod
     def _is_telemetry_disabled(cls) -> bool:
-        """Check if telemetry should be disabled based on environment variables."""
+        """Check if telemetry should be disabled based on environment variables.
-        return (
+
+        Telemetry is disabled when any of the following conditions are met:
+        - OTEL_SDK_DISABLED is set to 'true'
+        - CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY is set to 'true'
+        - CREWAI_DISABLE_TRACKING is set to 'true'
+        - CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED is explicitly set to 'false' or '0'
+        - The user has explicitly declined tracing via the first-time prompt
+        """
+        if (
             os.getenv("OTEL_SDK_DISABLED", "false").lower() == "true"
             or os.getenv("CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY", "false").lower() == "true"
             or os.getenv("CREWAI_DISABLE_TRACKING", "false").lower() == "true"
-        )
+        ):
+            return True
+
+        tracing_env = os.getenv("CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED", "").lower()
+        if tracing_env in ("false", "0"):
+            return True
+
+        if has_user_declined_tracing():
+            return True
+
+        return False
 
     def _should_execute_telemetry(self) -> bool:
         """Check if telemetry operations should be executed."""

lib/crewai/tests/telemetry/test_execution_span_assignment.py

@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@ def cleanup_singletons():
     """Reset singletons between tests and enable telemetry."""
     original_telemetry = os.environ.get("CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY")
     original_otel = os.environ.get("OTEL_SDK_DISABLED")
+    original_tracing = os.environ.get("CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED")
 
     os.environ["CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY"] = "false"
     os.environ["OTEL_SDK_DISABLED"] = "false"
+    os.environ.pop("CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED", None)
 
     with crewai_event_bus._rwlock.w_locked():
         crewai_event_bus._sync_handlers.clear()
@@ -45,6 +47,11 @@ def cleanup_singletons():
     else:
         os.environ.pop("OTEL_SDK_DISABLED", None)
 
+    if original_tracing is not None:
+        os.environ["CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED"] = original_tracing
+    else:
+        os.environ.pop("CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED", None)
+
     Telemetry._instance = None
     EventListener._instance = None
     if hasattr(Telemetry, "_lock"):

lib/crewai/tests/telemetry/test_flow_crew_span_integration.py

@@ -55,9 +55,11 @@ def enable_telemetry_for_tests():
 
     original_telemetry = os.environ.get("CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY")
     original_otel = os.environ.get("OTEL_SDK_DISABLED")
+    original_tracing = os.environ.get("CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED")
 
     os.environ["CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY"] = "false"
     os.environ["OTEL_SDK_DISABLED"] = "false"
+    os.environ.pop("CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED", None)
 
     with crewai_event_bus._rwlock.w_locked():
         crewai_event_bus._sync_handlers.clear()
@@ -89,6 +91,11 @@ def enable_telemetry_for_tests():
     else:
         os.environ.pop("OTEL_SDK_DISABLED", None)
 
+    if original_tracing is not None:
+        os.environ["CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED"] = original_tracing
+    else:
+        os.environ.pop("CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED", None)
+
 
 def test_crew_execution_span_in_flow_with_share_crew():
     """Test that crew._execution_span is properly set when crew runs inside a flow.
@@ -299,4 +306,4 @@ async def test_crew_execution_span_in_async_flow():
     await flow.kickoff_async()
 
     assert flow.state.result != ""
-    mock_llm.call.assert_called()
+    mock_llm.call.assert_called()

lib/crewai/tests/telemetry/test_telemetry.py

@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ from opentelemetry import trace
 
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
 def cleanup_telemetry():
+    original_tracing = os.environ.get("CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED")
+    os.environ.pop("CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED", None)
+
     Telemetry._instance = None
     if hasattr(Telemetry, "_lock"):
         Telemetry._lock = threading.Lock()
@@ -18,6 +21,11 @@ def cleanup_telemetry():
     if hasattr(Telemetry, "_lock"):
         Telemetry._lock = threading.Lock()
 
+    if original_tracing is not None:
+        os.environ["CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED"] = original_tracing
+    else:
+        os.environ.pop("CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED", None)
+
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "env_var,value,expected_ready",
@@ -37,9 +45,10 @@ def test_telemetry_environment_variables(env_var, value, expected_ready):
         "OTEL_SDK_DISABLED": "false",
         "CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY": "false",
         "CREWAI_DISABLE_TRACKING": "false",
+        "CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED": "",
         env_var: value,
     }
-    with patch.dict(os.environ, env_overrides):
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, env_overrides, clear=True):
         with patch("crewai.telemetry.telemetry.TracerProvider"):
             telemetry = Telemetry()
             assert telemetry.ready is expected_ready

lib/crewai/tests/telemetry/test_telemetry_disable.py

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import os
 from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
 import pytest
+from crewai.events.listeners.tracing.utils import _tracing_enabled
 from crewai.telemetry import Telemetry
 
 
@@ -9,7 +10,11 @@ from crewai.telemetry import Telemetry
 def cleanup_telemetry():
     """Automatically clean up Telemetry singleton between tests."""
     Telemetry._instance = None
-    yield
+    with patch(
+        "crewai.telemetry.telemetry.has_user_declined_tracing",
+        return_value=False,
+    ):
+        yield
     Telemetry._instance = None
 
 
@@ -32,9 +37,10 @@ def test_telemetry_environment_variables(env_var, value, expected_ready):
         "OTEL_SDK_DISABLED": "false",
         "CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY": "false",
         "CREWAI_DISABLE_TRACKING": "false",
+        "CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED": "",
         env_var: value,
     }
-    with patch.dict(os.environ, clean_env):
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, clean_env, clear=True):
         telemetry = Telemetry()
         assert telemetry.ready is expected_ready
 
@@ -105,3 +111,125 @@ def test_telemetry_otel_sdk_disabled_after_creation():
 
             telemetry._safe_telemetry_operation(mock_operation)
             mock_operation.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.telemetry
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "tracing_value",
+    ["false", "False", "FALSE", "0"],
+)
+def test_telemetry_disabled_when_crewai_tracing_enabled_is_false(tracing_value):
+    """Test that telemetry is disabled when CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED is explicitly false.
+
+    Regression test for https://github.com/crewAIInc/crewAI/issues/4525
+    """
+    clean_env = {
+        "OTEL_SDK_DISABLED": "false",
+        "CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY": "false",
+        "CREWAI_DISABLE_TRACKING": "false",
+        "CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED": tracing_value,
+    }
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, clean_env):
+        telemetry = Telemetry()
+        assert telemetry.ready is False
+
+
+@pytest.mark.telemetry
+def test_telemetry_not_disabled_when_crewai_tracing_enabled_unset():
+    """Test that telemetry remains enabled when CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED is not set."""
+    clean_env = {
+        "OTEL_SDK_DISABLED": "false",
+        "CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY": "false",
+        "CREWAI_DISABLE_TRACKING": "false",
+    }
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, clean_env, clear=True):
+        with patch("crewai.telemetry.telemetry.TracerProvider"):
+            with patch(
+                "crewai.telemetry.telemetry.has_user_declined_tracing",
+                return_value=False,
+            ):
+                telemetry = Telemetry()
+                assert telemetry.ready is True
+
+
+@pytest.mark.telemetry
+def test_telemetry_disabled_when_user_declined_tracing():
+    """Test that telemetry is disabled when user has declined tracing via first-time prompt.
+
+    Regression test for https://github.com/crewAIInc/crewAI/issues/4525
+    """
+    clean_env = {
+        "OTEL_SDK_DISABLED": "false",
+        "CREWAI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY": "false",
+        "CREWAI_DISABLE_TRACKING": "false",
+    }
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, clean_env, clear=True):
+        with patch(
+            "crewai.telemetry.telemetry.has_user_declined_tracing",
+            return_value=True,
+        ) as mock_declined:
+            telemetry = Telemetry()
+            mock_declined.assert_called()
+            assert telemetry.ready is False
+
+
+@pytest.mark.telemetry
+def test_telemetry_operations_blocked_when_crewai_tracing_enabled_false_after_init():
+    """Test that telemetry operations are blocked when CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED=false set after init.
+
+    Regression test for https://github.com/crewAIInc/crewAI/issues/4525
+    """
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True):
+        with patch("crewai.telemetry.telemetry.TracerProvider"):
+            telemetry = Telemetry()
+            assert telemetry.ready is True
+
+            mock_operation = MagicMock()
+            telemetry._safe_telemetry_operation(mock_operation)
+            mock_operation.assert_called_once()
+
+            mock_operation.reset_mock()
+
+            os.environ["CREWAI_TRACING_ENABLED"] = "false"
+
+            telemetry._safe_telemetry_operation(mock_operation)
+            mock_operation.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.telemetry
+def test_telemetry_operations_allowed_when_tracing_context_true():
+    """Test that telemetry operations are allowed when tracing context var is True."""
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True):
+        with patch("crewai.telemetry.telemetry.TracerProvider"):
+            with patch(
+                "crewai.telemetry.telemetry.has_user_declined_tracing",
+                return_value=False,
+            ):
+                telemetry = Telemetry()
+                assert telemetry.ready is True
+
+                mock_operation = MagicMock()
+
+                token = _tracing_enabled.set(True)
+                try:
+                    telemetry._safe_telemetry_operation(mock_operation)
+                    mock_operation.assert_called_once()
+                finally:
+                    _tracing_enabled.reset(token)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.telemetry
+def test_telemetry_operations_allowed_when_tracing_context_none():
+    """Test that telemetry operations are allowed when tracing context var is None (default)."""
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True):
+        with patch("crewai.telemetry.telemetry.TracerProvider"):
+            with patch(
+                "crewai.telemetry.telemetry.has_user_declined_tracing",
+                return_value=False,
+            ):
+                telemetry = Telemetry()
+                assert telemetry.ready is True
+
+                mock_operation = MagicMock()
+                telemetry._safe_telemetry_operation(mock_operation)
+                mock_operation.assert_called_once()