Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 2, 2026

SiftPics is a product owned and operated by Sentinel Technologies, LLC.

Our Commitment to Privacy

SiftPics is designed with privacy as a core principle. We believe your files are your business, and we've built our software to ensure your content stays private.

What We Don't Collect

Let's be clear about what SiftPics does NOT do:

  • We never upload your files. All scanning happens locally on your device.
  • We never see your images. The AI model runs entirely offline.
  • We don't track what you scan. Your scan history stays on your computer.
  • We don't sell data. We don't have your data to sell.

What We Do Collect

We collect minimal data necessary to operate the service:

Account & Billing

If you create an account or purchase a license, we collect:

  • Your email address
  • Your password (stored only as a salted hash — we cannot see it)
  • Purchase and subscription records (plan, dates, status)

Payment card details are handled entirely by Stripe, our payment processor — they never touch our servers.

License Validation

When you activate a license, we verify it with our server. This sends:

  • Your license key
  • A machine identifier (hashed, not your actual hardware ID)
  • Your computer's name (shown in your account dashboard so you can manage devices)
  • App version and platform (Windows/Mac/Linux)
  • Session identifier (to detect concurrent use)
  • Your IP address (used for abuse and fraud prevention, e.g. detecting license sharing)

Frequency: License validation occurs once during activation. While the app is running, periodic heartbeats (approximately every 5 minutes) verify your session is active. Full revalidation occurs every 48 hours. All validation data is cached locally, so the app works offline for up to 7 days.

Crash Reports (Opt-In)

If the app crashes or hits an error, it can send us a report — but only if you've opted in. You're asked once during first launch, crash reporting stays off unless you enable it, and you can change your choice anytime in Settings → Privacy. A report contains:

  • Error message and stack trace
  • App version and OS version
  • Anonymous session ID

Crash reports never include file names, paths, or image data.

Usage Telemetry (Optional)

The app may collect anonymized usage telemetry (feature usage counts, scan lifecycle events, performance metrics). Telemetry is enabled by default and can be disabled in Settings. Telemetry never includes file names, file paths, or scan results.

Update Checks

The app checks for updates approximately every 4 hours. Only the current version number is sent. No personal data is transmitted. Downloads are verified with SHA-256 checksums and served over HTTPS.

Local Data Storage

SiftPics stores data locally on your computer:

  • Settings & Preferences: Your configuration choices
  • Scan History: Records of past scans (file paths and results)
  • License Information: Encrypted license data
  • Thumbnail Cache: Cached thumbnails for faster display

All local data is stored in your user profile folder and can be deleted by uninstalling the app or manually removing the SiftPics data folder.

Third-Party Services

SiftPics uses minimal third-party services:

  • License API: Our own servers for license validation (hosted on Amazon Web Services in the United States)
  • Amazon Web Services (S3): Hosts app downloads and update checks
  • Stripe: Payment processing for subscriptions

Our website uses Plausible Analytics, a privacy-friendly analytics service that does not use cookies and does not collect personal data. We do not use advertising or behavioral tracking services.

Cookies & Website

Our website (siftpics.com) uses minimal cookies:

  • Authentication: Session cookies to keep you logged into your account
  • Security: CSRF tokens to protect form submissions

We do not use tracking cookies or advertising cookies. Our website uses Plausible Analytics which is cookie-free. The desktop application does not use cookies at all.

Data Security

License data is encrypted using AES-256-GCM encryption. Network communications use HTTPS. We follow security best practices to protect the minimal data we do handle.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Know what data we have (see above - it's minimal)
  • Request deletion of your license data
  • Export your local scan history
  • Use the app offline (with license grace period)

For EU/EEA and UK Residents (GDPR)

The data controller is Sentinel Technologies, LLC (contact: support@siftpics.com). We process your personal data on the following legal bases: performance of a contract (account, license validation, and purchases), legitimate interest (fraud and abuse prevention, security), and consent (optional crash reports and usage telemetry, which you can withdraw at any time in the app's Settings).

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the following rights:

  • Right of Access: Request a copy of your personal data
  • Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate personal data
  • Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
  • Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured format
  • Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interest
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: For processing based on consent, at any time
  • Right to Complain: Lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority

To exercise these rights, contact support@siftpics.com. We respond within 30 days.

International transfers: Our servers are located in the United States. If you are in the EU/EEA or UK, your account and license data is transferred to and processed in the US. We protect it with the security measures described in this policy; our payment processor (Stripe) participates in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework.

For California Residents (CCPA)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to:

  • Right to Know: What personal information we collect and how it's used
  • Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information
  • Right to Opt-Out: We do not sell personal information
  • Right to Non-Discrimination: Equal service regardless of privacy choices

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes.

Data Retention

We retain your data for the following periods:

  • License Records: Duration of subscription plus 2 years (for support and legal compliance)
  • Machine Activations: Automatically removed 30 days after last heartbeat
  • Crash Reports: 90 days, then automatically deleted
  • Account Data: Until you request deletion or 2 years after subscription ends

You can request immediate deletion of your data by contacting support@siftpics.com.

Children's Privacy

SiftPics is not intended for use by children under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy occasionally. Significant changes will be announced in the app. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Contact us at support@siftpics.com