# Privacy Policy for Sifty - AI Photo Sorter **Last Updated: December 2, 2025** **Effective Date: December 2, 2025** --- ## 🔒 Key Highlights ✅ **Your Photos Stay Private** - We never upload your photos to our servers. All image analysis happens locally on your device and securely through Google's Gemini API. ✅ **No Data Selling** - We will never sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. ✅ **Minimal Data Collection** - We only collect what's necessary to provide you with the best photo sorting experience. ✅ **Free Beta Version** - Currently free to use with 10,000 complimentary credits. No payment processing in this version. ✅ **You're in Control** - You can delete your account and data at any time through the app settings. ✅ **Transparent AI** - We clearly show you why the AI makes decisions about your photos, and you have the final say. --- ## 1. Introduction Welcome to **Sifty** (the "App"), developed by Muhammed Junaid ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application. By using Sifty, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our app. --- ## 2. Information We Collect ### 2.1 Personal Information You Provide **Account Information:** - Email address (for authentication) - Phone number (optional, for phone-based login) - Display name (optional) - Google account information (if you sign in with Google) **User Preferences:** - Questionnaire responses about your photo preferences - Feedback on AI sorting decisions - App settings and configurations ### 2.2 Information Collected Automatically **Usage Data:** - App interaction statistics (e.g., number of images analyzed) - Feature usage patterns - Error logs and crash reports (via Firebase Crashlytics) - Device information (model, OS version, unique device identifiers) **Photo Metadata:** - File paths and names of images you select for analysis - Image analysis results (keep/delete decisions and AI reasoning) - Timestamps of when photos were analyzed - **Important:** We do NOT upload your actual photo files to our servers **Credits Usage Data:** - Credit consumption tracking - Analysis history and statistics - App performance metrics - API usage statistics ### 2.3 Information We Do NOT Collect We explicitly do NOT: - Upload your photos to our servers (they stay on your device) - Access photos you haven't selected for analysis - Track your location - Access your contacts, messages, or other apps - Monitor your browsing history - Sell your data to advertisers --- ## 3. How We Use Your Information ### 3.1 Core Functionality **Photo Analysis:** - Send selected photo metadata to Google's Gemini AI API for intelligent sorting decisions - Process AI responses to help you organize your photos - Learn from your feedback to improve future sorting accuracy **Account Management:** - Authenticate your identity via Firebase Authentication - Sync your preferences and learning data across devices - Manage your credit usage and limits ### 3.2 Service Improvement **AI Learning:** - Use your feedback (keep/delete decisions) to personalize AI recommendations - Improve sorting accuracy based on your preferences - Generate context from feedback to train the AI specifically for you **App Enhancement:** - Analyze crash reports to fix bugs and improve stability - Monitor performance to optimize speed and responsiveness - Understand feature usage to prioritize development ### 3.3 Communication **Transactional Emails:** - Account verification and password resets - Important app updates and security notices **Optional Notifications:** - Analysis progress updates - Credit low warnings - AI learning updates available --- ## 4. How We Share Your Information ### 4.1 Third-Party Service Providers We use the following trusted services to provide our functionality: **Google Firebase (Google LLC):** - **Purpose:** Authentication, database, cloud functions, storage, analytics, crash reporting - **Data Shared:** Email, user ID, app usage statistics, crash reports - **Privacy Policy:** https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy **Google Gemini API (Google LLC):** - **Purpose:** AI-powered photo analysis - **Data Shared:** Image metadata, analysis context, AI learning feedback - **Privacy Policy:** https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/terms **Firebase Crashlytics (Google LLC):** - **Purpose:** Error monitoring and crash reporting - **Data Shared:** Device information, app state during crashes, error logs - **Privacy Policy:** https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy ### 4.2 Legal Requirements We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to: - Valid legal processes (subpoenas, court orders) - Protection of our rights, property, or safety - Prevention of fraud or security threats - Compliance with regulatory requirements ### 4.3 Business Transfers If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We will notify you via email and/or prominent notice in the app before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy. --- ## 5. Data Storage and Security ### 5.1 Where Your Data is Stored **On Your Device:** - Your actual photo files (never uploaded) - App preferences and settings - Analysis history and feedback - Cached data **On Our Servers (Firebase):** - Account information (encrypted) - AI learning context (your preferences) - Usage statistics and credit tracking **Geographic Location:** - Data is stored on Google Firebase servers (primarily in US data centers) - Subject to US data protection laws and Google's security standards ### 5.2 Security Measures We implement industry-standard security measures: **Technical Safeguards:** - End-to-end encryption for data transmission (TLS/SSL) - Encrypted storage for sensitive data in Firebase - Secure API key management (server-side only) - Regular security audits and updates **Access Controls:** - Role-based access to backend systems - Multi-factor authentication for admin access - Automated monitoring for suspicious activity **Data Protection:** - Regular backups - Disaster recovery procedures - Incident response plan ### 5.3 Data Retention **Active Accounts:** - We retain your data as long as your account is active - AI learning data is kept to improve your experience **Inactive Accounts:** - Accounts inactive for 2 years may be deleted after notification - You can request immediate deletion at any time **Legal Obligations:** - Crash logs deleted after 90 days - Usage data retained for service improvement --- ## 6. Your Rights and Choices ### 6.1 Access and Control **Account Access:** - View all your stored data through the app settings - Download your data (data portability) - Update or correct your information **Privacy Controls:** - Enable/disable background processing notifications - Control which folders the app can access - Manage AI learning preferences ### 6.2 Data Deletion **Delete Specific Data:** - Clear analysis history - Reset AI learning (delete feedback data) - Remove specific preferences **Delete Your Account:** - Request complete account deletion through app settings - We will delete your data within 30 days - Some anonymized usage data may be retained for service improvement ### 6.3 Marketing Communications **Opt-Out:** - We do not send marketing emails by default - If we introduce marketing communications, you can unsubscribe anytime - Transactional emails (security alerts, account notifications) cannot be disabled ### 6.4 Your Legal Rights (GDPR/CCPA) If you are in the EU, UK, or California, you have additional rights: **Right to Know:** - What personal data we collect - How we use it - Who we share it with **Right to Access:** - Request a copy of your data **Right to Rectification:** - Correct inaccurate data **Right to Erasure:** - Request deletion of your data **Right to Restrict Processing:** - Limit how we use your data **Right to Data Portability:** - Receive your data in a portable format **Right to Object:** - Object to certain types of processing **Right to Withdraw Consent:** - Withdraw consent at any time To exercise these rights, contact us at: privacy@siftapp.com (or your designated email) --- ## 7. Children's Privacy Sift is **not intended for children under 13 years of age**. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. We will take steps to delete such information from our systems. --- ## 8. International Data Transfers Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States, where our service providers operate. These countries may have different data protection laws than your country. By using Sift, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including: - Standard contractual clauses approved by the EU Commission - Adherence to Privacy Shield principles (where applicable) - Compliance with GDPR requirements for international transfers --- ## 9. AI and Automated Decision-Making ### 9.1 How AI Works in Sift **Photo Analysis:** - Google's Gemini AI analyzes photo metadata to suggest keep/delete decisions - You have the final say on all decisions (human-in-the-loop) - AI learns from your feedback to personalize recommendations **No Fully Automated Decisions:** - We do NOT make automated decisions that significantly affect you without human review - You always review and approve/reject AI suggestions - You can abort processing at any time ### 9.2 Transparency and Explainability **AI Reasoning:** - We show you why the AI made each decision - Clear explanations for each photo (e.g., "blurry," "duplicate," "has people") - You can provide feedback to improve accuracy **Learning Context:** - AI builds a personalized context from your feedback - You can view and reset your learning data anytime - Context updates happen only with your explicit approval --- ## 10. Third-Party Links and Services ### 10.1 External Links Sift may contain links to third-party websites or services (e.g., payment gateways). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through our app. ### 10.2 Social Media Integration If you sign in using Google Sign-In: - We receive basic profile information (name, email, profile picture) - We do NOT access your Google Drive, Photos, or other Google services - You can revoke access through your Google account settings --- ## 11. Cookies and Tracking Technologies ### 11.1 What We Use **Essential Cookies:** - Session management (keep you logged in) - Security tokens (prevent unauthorized access) **Analytics:** - Firebase Analytics to understand app usage - Crash reports to fix bugs **No Advertising Cookies:** - We do NOT use cookies for advertising or tracking across websites ### 11.2 Your Control You cannot disable essential cookies without affecting app functionality. Analytics can be limited through device settings (see Section 12). --- ## 12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA) If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): **Right to Know:** - Categories of personal information collected - Sources of information - Business purposes for collection - Categories of third parties with whom we share data **Right to Delete:** - Request deletion of your personal information **Right to Opt-Out:** - We do not sell personal information (no opt-out needed) **Right to Non-Discrimination:** - We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights **Shine the Light Law:** - Request information about disclosure to third parties for direct marketing To exercise your CCPA rights, contact us at: privacy@siftapp.com **Response Time:** We will respond within 45 days. --- ## 13. European Privacy Rights (GDPR) If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): **Legal Basis for Processing:** - **Consent:** You agree to our data practices by using the app - **Contract:** Processing necessary to provide our services - **Legitimate Interests:** Improve app performance and security - **Legal Obligations:** Comply with laws and regulations **Data Controller:** - Muhammed Junaid (Sift Developer) **Data Protection Officer:** - Contact: privacy@siftapp.com (or your designated DPO email) **Supervisory Authority:** - You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority **Cross-Border Transfers:** - We comply with GDPR requirements for data transfers outside the EEA - Standard contractual clauses in place with service providers --- ## 14. Changes to This Privacy Policy We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect: - Changes in our practices - Legal or regulatory requirements - New features or services **Notification of Changes:** - We will notify you via email and/or in-app notification - "Last Updated" date at the top will be revised - Material changes will require your re-consent **Your Continued Use:** - Continued use of Sift after changes constitutes acceptance - If you don't agree, please discontinue use and delete your account --- ## 15. Contact Us If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: **Email:** privacy@siftapp.com (replace with your actual email) **Developer:** Muhammed Junaid **Response Time:** We aim to respond within 7 business days. **Mailing Address:** (Add your physical address if required by law) **Data Protection Officer:** privacy@siftapp.com --- ## 16. Additional Information ### 16.1 Open Source Components Sift uses open-source libraries and components. Each component has its own license and privacy considerations. Major components include: - Flutter framework (BSD license) - Firebase SDK (Google APIs Terms) - Image processing libraries ### 16.2 Accessibility We are committed to making our Privacy Policy accessible. If you need this policy in an alternative format, please contact us. ### 16.3 Language This Privacy Policy is provided in English. In case of conflicts between translations, the English version prevails. --- ## 17. Consent By using Sift, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please do not use our app. **Date of Consent:** Your first use of the app after this policy takes effect. --- ## Summary of Key Points 📱 **What We Collect:** Email, preferences, usage stats, crash reports 🔒 **What We Don't Upload:** Your actual photos (they stay on your device) 🤖 **AI Processing:** Google Gemini analyzes metadata, you have final say 💳 **Payments:** Handled securely by Razorpay (we don't store card details) 🛡️ **Security:** Encryption, secure storage, regular audits ✅ **Your Rights:** Access, delete, download, control your data 📧 **Contact:** privacy@siftapp.com 🔄 **Updates:** We'll notify you of any changes --- **Thank you for trusting Sift with your photo organization needs. Your privacy is our priority.** --- *This Privacy Policy is designed to comply with GDPR, CCPA, and Google Play Store requirements. For specific legal advice, consult with a legal professional.*