FACESIFT — PRIVACY POLICY

§ 1. Definitions

• Controller — the operator of the FaceSift service, reachable at facesift@gmail.com.
• Policy — this Privacy Policy.
• User — any natural person who uses the Service.
• Personal Data — any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.
• Service / Website — the face reverse-image search service operated by the Controller.
• FaceCheck.ID — a third-party facial-search API provider used to perform image searches (facecheck.id).
• NOWPayments — a third-party cryptocurrency payment processing provider used to handle crypto payments on the Service (nowpayments.io).
• Lenso.ai — a third-party face reverse-image search service available as an alternative search engine on the /lenso page (lenso.ai).
• Google Analytics — a web analytics service provided by Google LLC that collects aggregate usage statistics via cookies and network requests.
• Browser Storage — the Web Storage API (localStorage) built into the User's browser, which stores data locally on the User's device only.

§ 2. General Provisions

This Policy applies to the processing of Personal Data in connection with the operation of the Service.

The Controller does not store uploaded photos or search results on its own servers. The only server-side record the Controller keeps is a minimal order record for each paid Live Mode search, described in § 6. No account or registration is required, and the Controller does not collect names, email addresses, or payment card details.

The Controller does not sell your Personal Data. Personal Data may only be shared with third parties in the situations described in this Policy.

The Service is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 16. The Controller does not knowingly collect Personal Data from minors. The Service must not be used to search for images of persons under the age of 18.

§ 3. Your Rights Regarding Personal Data

You have the right to:

1. access your Personal Data and receive a copy;
2. request rectification, deletion, or restriction of processing;
3. withdraw consent at any time — withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal;
4. data portability;
5. object to processing where the legal basis is the Controller's legitimate interest.

To exercise any of these rights, contact facesift@gmail.com. Include the order ID of your payment (shown in the page URL as ?orderId=…) so the Controller can find the related record. The Controller will respond within 30 days.

If your face appears in search results. The Controller does not maintain its own index of faces. Search results come from FaceCheck.ID and Lenso.ai, and only those providers can remove a face from their indexes. Both offer a free removal process. See the Removal Request page for step-by-step instructions.

§ 4. Image Upload and Facial Search

The core functionality of the Service requires the User to provide a photo containing a face. By submitting a photo the User grants explicit, personal, and voluntary consent to:

1. transmission of the photo to FaceCheck.ID (Live Mode) for the purpose of performing a reverse facial-image search;
2. acknowledgement that the photo depicts only the User themselves, or a person for whom the User has lawful authority to perform such a search;
3. confirmation that the depicted person is 18 years of age or older;
4. acknowledgement that use of the Service (including sending a photo to FaceCheck.ID servers) is not prohibited in the User's jurisdiction.

If the User does not accept all the above conditions, the search cannot proceed.

The Controller acts solely as an intermediary: the photo is forwarded to the relevant third-party search engine, search results are received and displayed to the User, and no further processing of the photo is performed by the Controller. The Controller does not use uploaded photos for machine learning, advertising, or any other purpose.

The main search page offers two modes that determine whether a third party processes the photo:

• Demo Mode (free) — shows sample results. The photo is not forwarded to FaceCheck.ID or any other third party.
• Live Mode (paid) — photos are transmitted to FaceCheck.ID for facial-image search. For details on how FaceCheck.ID processes image data, please review their privacy policy at facecheck.id/Face-Search/Privacy.

The dedicated /lenso page uses Lenso.aifor all searches via their embedded widget. Photos uploaded there go directly to Lenso.ai and never pass through the Controller's servers. For details, please review the Lenso.ai privacy policy at lenso.ai/legal/privacy-policy.

§ 5. Browser Storage (Client-Side Cache)

To improve usability, the uploaded photo is temporarily cached as a Base64-encoded string in the User's browser localStorage for up to 24 hours. In Live Mode, the photo is also cached for up to 2 hoursbefore the payment redirect, so the search can continue once the User returns. This data never leaves the User's device and is not accessible to the Controller or any third party.

Users can delete this data at any time by clearing their browser's site data or local storage for the Service domain.

§ 6. Payment Processing

The Service sells digital goods (access to unmasked search results). Unlocking full search results requires a one-time payment processed by NOWPayments (nowpayments.io), which accepts cryptocurrency (e.g. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others). Blockchain transactions are publicly visible by nature; the Controller does not link on-chain addresses to your identity. NOWPayments may collect technical data necessary to process and verify the transaction. Please review NOWPayments' privacy policy at nowpayments.io/doc/privacy for details.

The Controller does not receive card details, wallet keys, or the User's identity from NOWPayments. For each Live Mode checkout, the Controller stores an order record in its database containing:

• a random order ID, the NOWPayments payment ID, and the search session ID;
• payment and search status, with timestamps;
• the approximate country of the request, derived by the hosting provider from the IP address (the IP address itself is not stored);
• the Google Analytics client ID and session ID of the browser that started the checkout;
• basic device details: browser, operating system, and device type (from the User-Agent header), plus screen resolution and browser language.

This record is used to confirm the payment, to stop the same payment from being used for more than one search, to let the User retry with a new photo if a paid search was not used, and to report the purchase to Google Analytics (see § 7). The legal basis is the performance of the purchase contract and the Controller's legitimate interest in preventing fraud and measuring the Service.

The Controller also receives an internal email notification for each successful payment containing the order ID, payment ID, payment status, approximate country, and device details.

§ 7. Cookies and Tracking

The Service uses Google Analytics (provided by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA) to collect aggregate, anonymised statistics about how visitors interact with the Service — for example, which pages are viewed and how long sessions last. This helps the Controller understand usage patterns and improve the Service.

Google Analytics sets cookies (typically named _ga and _ga_*) in your browser. These cookies contain a randomly generated identifier and are used to distinguish unique visitors. The data collected is transmitted to and stored on Google's servers, which may be located outside the European Economic Area. Google processes this data in accordance with its Privacy Policy.

The Controller does not use Google Analytics to collect personally identifiable information such as names, email addresses, or precise location. IP addresses are anonymised before transmission where technically supported.

When a Live Mode payment is confirmed, the Controller's server sends a purchase event directly to Google Analytics. This event carries the order ID, amount, the stored Google Analytics client and session IDs, approximate country, and device details from the order record (§ 6), so that the purchase is linked to the visit that led to it.

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking at any time by:

• installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on;
• blocking cookies via your browser settings or a privacy extension; or
• using a browser in private/incognito mode (cookies are discarded when the session ends).

In addition, the Service stores a NEXT_LOCALE cookie to remember your language preference (English, Ukrainian, German, French, or Spanish). This cookie contains only the locale code (en, uk, de, fr, or es), expires after one year, and is not shared with any third party.

Technically necessary session data may also be stored in the browser to support the payment flow. The Controller does not set any advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.

§ 8. Data Security

All data transmitted between the User's browser and the Controller's servers is protected by TLS/SSL encryption (HTTPS). Server-side API routes are used exclusively to proxy requests to FaceCheck.ID, ensuring that API credentials are never exposed to the client.

The order records described in § 6 are stored in a managed database that is accessed only over an encrypted (TLS) connection. Because no photos, search results, names, or contact details are stored there, exposure risk from a server-side data breach is limited. The primary data at risk remains the photo cached locally in the User's own browser.

§ 9. Recipients of Personal Data

Personal Data may be shared only with the following third parties, and only to the extent necessary:

1. FaceCheck.ID — receives the uploaded photo solely for performing the facial-image search when the User selects Live Mode on the main search page;
2. Lenso.ai— receives the uploaded photo directly from the User's browser when the User searches on the /lenso page;
3. NOWPayments — receives transaction data solely for processing cryptocurrency payments for digital goods;
4. Google LLC (Google Analytics) — receives usage data via cookies, and the purchase event described in § 7, for the purpose of web analytics; does not receive uploaded photos or payment card data;
5. Vercel Inc. (hosting provider) — hosts and serves the application and processes request data (including IP addresses) as part of normal request handling; Live Mode photos pass through it in transit to FaceCheck.ID but are not stored;
6. Aiven (database hosting) — stores the order records described in § 6;
7. Better Stack (log management) — stores technical application logs (such as order and search IDs, statuses, and error messages) used for debugging and security; logs do not contain photos;
8. Resend (email delivery) — delivers internal notification emails to the Controller, such as payment confirmations and service alerts.

These providers may be located outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Where data is transferred outside the EEA, the Controller ensures such transfers are subject to appropriate safeguards under applicable law.

§ 10. Retention Periods

• Uploaded photo (server): forwarded to FaceCheck.ID and not retained by the Controller.
• Uploaded photo (browser): cached locally for up to 24 hours, then automatically cleared.
• Search results (server): accessible via FaceCheck.ID for up to 24 hours after the search completes. After this period the session is expired and results are no longer retrievable through the Service.
• Downloaded JSON file:if the User downloads Search Results after completing the Unlock Payment, the resulting file is saved locally on the User's device only. The Controller does not retain a copy.
• Order records (§ 6): retained only as long as necessary for payment confirmation, fraud prevention, and accounting obligations under applicable law. The User may request earlier deletion of the analytics and device fields at any time (see § 3).
• Application logs: retained for a limited period for debugging and security, then deleted automatically.
• IP addresses:not stored in the Controller's database or application logs. The hosting provider processes them as part of normal request handling.

§ 11. Additional Information for US Residents

Residents of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Montana, Oregon, and Utah may have additional rights under their respective state privacy laws (CCPA/CPRA, CPA, CTDPA, CDPA, MTCDPA, OCPA, UCPA), including the right to:

1. know and access the categories and specific pieces of Personal Data collected;
2. request deletion of Personal Data;
3. correct inaccurate Personal Data;
4. opt out of the sale or sharing of Personal Data for targeted advertising. The Controller does not sell Personal Data.

To exercise any of these rights, contact facesift@gmail.com. The Controller will respond within 30 days. If your request is denied, you may appeal by contacting the same address. Further appeals may be directed to the relevant state Attorney General.

Illinois residents: The Service is not available to Illinois residents due to restrictions under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).

§ 12. Updates

This Policy may be updated at any time. The current version will always be available on this page. Continued use of the Service after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

§ 13. Contact

For any questions or requests relating to this Policy or your Personal Data, contact us at: facesift@gmail.com