🔒Privacy Policy

1.Information We Collect

CueCaption collects different information depending on how you use the Service:

For Anonymous Users (IP-based access)

• IP Address: Used for rate limiting and abuse prevention
• Browser Type and User-Agent: For compatibility and optimization purposes
• Anonymous Usage Statistics: Aggregated data about API endpoint usage
• Timestamps: For rate limit reset calculations

For Authenticated Users (Account-based access)

All of the above, plus:

• Email Address: Provided via authentication provider (Google, GitHub, etc.)
• Display Name and Avatar: Optional information you provide
• User Preferences: Theme selection, category filters, notification settings
• Usage Statistics: Total searches performed, captions generated, autocomplete requests
• Credit Balance and Transaction History: Credit purchases and usage
• Payment Transaction IDs: Via payment processor (we do not store credit card details)

2.How We Use Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

• Enforce rate limits (daily limits for anonymous users, credit-based for authenticated users)
• Prevent abuse and maintain service quality
• Process payments and manage credit balances for authenticated users
• Provide account management features (profile, preferences, data export)
• Maintain phrase autocomplete database for improved user experience
• Improve the Service based on usage patterns
• Monitor service performance and uptime
• Troubleshoot technical issues

We do not:

• Permanently store your search queries or image URLs with your identity
• Link AI-generated captions to your user account
• Sell or share your data with third parties for marketing purposes
• Use your data to train AI models
• Track you across other websites

3.Data Storage & Security

Temporary Caching (Performance Optimization)

• Search results: Cached for 24 hours (anonymized, not linked to user accounts)
• Generated captions: Cached using image URL hashes (anonymized, not linked to user accounts)
• Phrase database: Built from processed captions (fully anonymized, used for autocomplete)
• Cache data is used solely for performance optimization and reducing API costs

Authenticated User Data

• User profiles (email, display name, avatar, preferences)
• Credit balances and transaction history
• Usage statistics (searches performed, captions generated)
• Retained until user requests account deletion

Security Measures

• All data transmission uses HTTPS encryption
• Industry-standard security measures implemented
• Row-level security enforced on database

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

4.Data Retention

We retain different types of data for varying periods:

• Search cache: 24 hours, then automatically deleted
• Caption cache: Retained indefinitely but anonymized (not linked to users)
• User accounts: Retained until user requests deletion
• Transaction history: Retained for 7 years for legal and accounting requirements
• Rate limit counters: Reset daily
• Deleted accounts: All personal data permanently removed within 30 days

5.Third-Party Services

CueCaption integrates with third-party services that may collect information:

Third-Party Search Engine

When you search for images, your query is sent to a third-party search service. No personal information is shared. Please refer to their privacy policy for information about their data practices.

Third-Party AI Service

Image URLs you provide are processed by a third-party AI service for caption generation. No personal information is shared with this service.

Payment Processor

For authenticated users purchasing credits, transaction information is processed by our payment processor. We do not store your credit card information. Payment data handling is subject to the payment processor's privacy policy.

6.Cookies & Local Storage

CueCaption uses a small number of cookies and browser local storage entries. They fall into two categories: essential (strictly necessary for the Service to work — signing in, security and your consent choice) and functional (preferences such as your theme). We use no analytics or tracking cookies.

When you first visit CueCaption, a consent banner asks which categories you want to allow. Functional (preference) storage is opt-in: nothing in that category is written unless you enable it, and declining does not break the site — preferences simply are not remembered between visits. Essential cookies tied to an action (such as the sign-in session cookie) are only set when you perform that action, and sign-in asks for a consent decision first if you have not made one yet.

You can change your choices at any time via Cookie Settings (also available in the navigation next to this policy). Revoking a category immediately deletes the storage previously written for it. Locally stored preference data is not transmitted to our servers, and you can also clear it through your browser settings.

We do not use tracking cookies or analytics cookies.

7.Your Rights

For EU Users (GDPR)

You have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation:

• Right to access your personal data
• Right to rectification of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to data portability (export your data)
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to object to processing
• Right to withdraw consent

For California Users (CCPA)

You have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:

• Right to know what personal information is collected
• Right to know whether personal information is sold or disclosed (we do not sell data)
• Right to say no to the sale of personal information
• Right to access your personal information
• Right to request deletion of personal information
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

How to Exercise Your Rights

• Authenticated users: Use the account dashboard to export or delete your data
• Anonymous users or other requests: Contact us through our contact form or support channels
• Response time: We will respond within 30 days of verified request
• Verification: We may require identity verification for security purposes

8.Children's Privacy

CueCaption is intended for users 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect information from individuals under 18 years of age. If you believe we have collected information from someone under 18, please contact us immediately.

9.International Users

CueCaption is operated from the United States. If you access the Service from outside the US, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the US. By using the Service, you consent to this transfer.

10.Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

11.Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us through our contact form or support channels.

This policy is provided for transparency and does not constitute legal advice.