PicS Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

PicS is a photo and video backup, storage, organization, synchronization, search, and viewing service developed by Chandan Sripathi. PicS is designed to allow users to securely access and manage their personal media library across supported devices.

This Privacy Policy describes what information PicS may access, collect, process, transmit, store, or otherwise handle; why that information is needed; how it may be used; how it is protected; and the choices available to users.

By using PicS, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, you should discontinue use of PicS and, where applicable, request deletion of your account and associated data.

2. Developer and Contact Information

PicS is developed and maintained by:

Privacy questions, data requests, security concerns, and account-deletion requests may be submitted using the email address above.

3. Scope of This Privacy Policy

This Policy applies to the PicS Android application and related PicS services operated or provided by the developer. It covers information processed when you sign in, browse your library, upload or back up media, download media, search your library, organize content, use sharing features, or otherwise interact with PicS.

Third-party websites, applications, operating systems, networks, or services that may interact with PicS are governed by their own privacy practices.

4. Information PicS May Handle

The information handled by PicS depends on the features you use, the permissions you grant, and the information contained in the media you choose to upload or manage.

4.1 Account and Authentication Information

PicS may process account identifiers, usernames, email addresses where configured, authentication credentials, session information, access tokens, refresh tokens, and other information necessary to authenticate a user and maintain a secure session.

4.2 Photos and Videos

PicS may access photos and videos that you select or make available to the application. This access is required for functions such as browsing local media, uploading files, automatic backup, restoring or downloading files, displaying media, and synchronizing your library.

4.3 Media Metadata

Photos and videos may contain metadata. Depending on the file and enabled features, this can include filenames, file sizes, MIME types, creation and modification dates, capture timestamps, image dimensions, video duration, camera manufacturer and model, lens information, orientation, technical EXIF data, and other embedded metadata.

4.4 Location Information Embedded in Media

Some photos and videos contain GPS coordinates or other location metadata created by the camera or another application. PicS may process this embedded information to provide media information, organization, map-related functionality, search, or other library features. PicS does not need to infer that every media location represents the user's current location.

4.5 Device and Application Information

PicS may process limited device and application information necessary for compatibility, synchronization, security, networking, and troubleshooting. This may include operating-system information, application version, device characteristics, language or locale, and technical identifiers generated for application operation.

4.6 Server and Network Information

PicS may process server addresses, connection configuration, IP addresses, request information, timestamps, error information, and other network-related data needed to establish connections, operate the service, protect it from abuse, and diagnose technical problems.

4.7 User-Generated Library Information

Information you create while organizing your library may be processed, including albums, favorites, archive status, descriptions, sharing settings, search information, and other organizational data supported by PicS.

5. How Information Is Used

PicS processes information only for legitimate application and service purposes. These purposes may include:

• Creating and maintaining user sessions and authenticating access.
• Uploading, backing up, downloading, restoring, displaying, and synchronizing photos and videos.
• Maintaining a user's media library and organizational information.
• Generating thumbnails and previews.
• Processing compatible image and video formats for viewing and playback.
• Extracting and indexing metadata for organization and search.
• Providing search, album, archive, favorite, timeline, map, and similar media-management features where enabled.
• Detecting duplicate or related media where supported.
• Providing machine-learning-assisted media organization or search features where enabled on the server.
• Maintaining security and preventing unauthorized access or abuse.
• Diagnosing crashes, failed requests, synchronization errors, and other technical problems.
• Maintaining and improving the reliability and functionality of PicS.
• Responding to user support, privacy, security, or account requests.

6. Photo and Video Permissions

PicS may request Android permissions that allow access to photos and videos. These permissions are used to provide features initiated or enabled by the user, including selecting media, browsing media, uploading media, and automatic backup.

You can manage application permissions through Android settings. If media permissions are denied or revoked, PicS may be unable to access local media and features that depend on that access may stop functioning.

Granting access to device media does not transfer ownership of that media to PicS or the developer.

7. Background Backup

If automatic or background backup is enabled, PicS may access eligible media and communicate with the PicS server while the application is not actively displayed. This processing is performed to synchronize and back up media according to the user's configuration and Android's background-execution rules.

Users can control backup behavior through available application settings and can restrict background activity using Android system settings where supported.

8. Notifications

PicS may request permission to display notifications. Notifications may be used for backup status, application activity, errors, service information, or other relevant functionality. Notification permission can be disabled through Android settings.

9. Server-Side Processing

PicS uses server-side components to provide media-library functionality. Information sent to the PicS server may be processed for storage, synchronization, thumbnail generation, metadata extraction, video transcoding, search indexing, media organization, and other enabled functionality.

Certain computational features, including machine-learning-assisted features, may operate on the server. The exact processing performed can depend on the server configuration and enabled features.

10. Storage of Information

Uploaded media, thumbnails, generated media, metadata, account information, database records, and related service information may be stored on infrastructure used to operate PicS. Storage duration depends on account status, user actions, backup procedures, operational requirements, and deletion requests.

PicS is intended to provide private media storage and management. Personal photos and videos are not treated as advertising inventory and are not sold as personal data.

11. Data Sharing and Disclosure

PicS does not sell users' personal photos, videos, personal information, or media metadata to data brokers or advertisers.

Information may nevertheless be disclosed in limited circumstances:

• User-directed sharing: when a user intentionally uses a sharing or link feature.
• Infrastructure and service operation: where a service provider is necessary to provide hosting, networking, storage, security, email, or other technical infrastructure.
• Security: when reasonably necessary to investigate abuse, fraud, attacks, unauthorized access, or threats to the service or users.
• Legal requirements: when disclosure is required by applicable law, legal process, or a valid governmental request.
• Protection of rights: where reasonably necessary to protect users, the developer, the service, or another person's rights, property, or safety.

12. Advertising and Sale of Personal Data

PicS does not use personal photos or videos for third-party behavioral advertising. PicS does not sell personal information or media libraries to advertisers or data brokers.

13. Data Security

Reasonable technical and organizational safeguards are used to protect information handled by PicS. Depending on the deployment, these safeguards may include encrypted HTTPS/TLS connections, authenticated access, access controls, restricted server administration, software updates, network protections, and backup procedures.

Users are responsible for protecting their account credentials and for maintaining appropriate security on devices used to access PicS.

No internet-connected service, transmission method, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

14. Data Retention

Information may be retained for as long as necessary to provide PicS, maintain an active account, fulfill backup and synchronization functions, protect the service, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce applicable agreements.

When content is deleted, removal from active systems may not always be instantaneous. Temporary copies may remain in caches, backups, logs, or disaster-recovery systems for a limited period until those systems are rotated or overwritten.

15. Account and Data Deletion

Users may delete supported photos, videos, albums, and other content using available PicS functionality. Where an account-deletion feature is available, users may use that mechanism to request deletion of their account and associated data.

A user may also request account or personal-data deletion by contacting dev@sripathi.cloud. Sufficient information may be requested to verify that the requester is authorized to control the relevant account before deletion is performed.

Deletion requests may be subject to limited retention where information must be preserved for security, fraud prevention, backup integrity, legal compliance, or another legitimate requirement.

16. User Choices and Controls

Depending on the PicS version and server configuration, users may be able to control what media is backed up, which albums or folders participate in backup, application permissions, notification permissions, sharing settings, and other application behavior.

Android permissions can also be reviewed or revoked through the device's system settings. Revoking permissions may disable corresponding PicS features.

17. Children's Privacy

PicS is not specifically designed or directed toward children. The developer does not knowingly seek to collect children's personal information for advertising or profiling purposes.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information through PicS in circumstances that require parental consent or deletion under applicable law, contact dev@sripathi.cloud.

18. International Data Processing

Depending on the location of the user, server, network providers, or supporting infrastructure, information may be transmitted through or processed in jurisdictions different from the user's location. Appropriate security measures are used where reasonably applicable to the operation of the service.

19. Third-Party Services and Components

PicS may rely on software libraries, operating-system services, network infrastructure, hosting infrastructure, or other technical components supplied by third parties. Those components may have their own terms and privacy practices when they independently process information.

PicS may also allow users to open, share, or interact with content using other applications installed on their device. Once information is intentionally transferred to another application or service at the user's direction, that recipient's privacy practices apply.

20. Logs and Technical Diagnostics

PicS and its server infrastructure may generate technical logs containing timestamps, request information, errors, service events, network information, and similar diagnostic information. Logs may be used to maintain reliability, troubleshoot failures, investigate security events, and protect the service from abuse.

Diagnostic information is retained only as reasonably necessary for operational, security, troubleshooting, or legal purposes.

21. Cookies and Web Technologies

If PicS web interfaces are used, technically necessary browser storage, cookies, session information, or similar technologies may be used for authentication, security, preferences, and application functionality. PicS does not use personal media as a basis for third-party advertising profiles.

22. Automated and Machine-Learning Processing

Where enabled, PicS may use automated processing to analyze media for features such as search, object or scene recognition, facial grouping or recognition, metadata indexing, duplicate detection, or media organization. Such processing is intended to provide library functionality to the user.

The availability and behavior of these features may vary depending on the PicS server configuration. Users should avoid enabling features they do not wish to use where configuration controls are provided.

23. Facial Recognition and Biometric-Related Features

If facial-recognition or facial-grouping functionality is enabled, PicS may analyze visual characteristics of faces appearing in photos to organize and search a user's private media library. Such information is used to provide the enabled media-management feature and is not sold for advertising purposes.

Availability and legal requirements for these features may vary by jurisdiction. Server administrators and users are responsible for using such functionality in accordance with applicable law.

24. Links and Shared Content

PicS may support sharing media or albums through links or other sharing mechanisms. Users are responsible for deciding what content to share and with whom. Anyone who receives an accessible sharing link may be able to view the information made available through that link, depending on the sharing configuration.

25. Legal Basis and Compliance

Where applicable privacy law requires a legal basis for processing, information may be processed as necessary to provide the service requested by the user, to maintain security and legitimate operation of PicS, to comply with legal obligations, or on the basis of consent where consent is required.

26. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have rights relating to personal information, such as rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection, or portability. The availability and scope of these rights depend on applicable law.

Requests may be submitted to dev@sripathi.cloud. Identity or account ownership may need to be verified before a request can be completed.

27. Changes to PicS

PicS may change over time as features are added, removed, or modified. Data practices may consequently change. Where a change materially affects privacy practices, this Privacy Policy may be updated accordingly.

28. Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be revised periodically to reflect changes to PicS, legal requirements, security practices, or service operations. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the Policy was most recently revised.

Continued use of PicS after an updated Policy becomes effective constitutes acknowledgment of the revised Policy to the extent permitted by applicable law.

29. Contact

For privacy questions, data requests, account deletion, or security concerns relating to PicS, contact: