Privacy policy

This policy explains what information idphoto.us ("we", "us") collects when you use this website, why, and the choices you have. We've written it to be read, not skimmed past.

The short version

• The passport photo editor, also on our home page, does upload your photo, because it's processed on a server. We tell you this on the tool itself, and your result page expires after 7 days.
• We only store what you choose to send us through the photo editor, the contact form, or the "Was this page helpful?" feedback box.
• We don't sell your information, and we don't use advertising or analytics cookies.

Photos you use with our tools

Passport photo editor

The passport photo editor, which is also on our home page, uploads your photo so a server can find your face, check the background, and crop the photo to your chosen country's size. Before uploading, your browser re-saves the photo (and shrinks it if it's very large), which removes hidden metadata such as the location where it was taken.

The photo is sent over an encrypted connection to our server and then to our photo processing provider, which stores the original and the finished photo in its image storage so you can view and download the result. We store a record of the result (the image links, the measurements, the country you chose, and a hashed IP address) so your result page works. That record is deleted automatically after 7 days, and the result page stops working at that point.

Information you send us

Contact form

When you send a message, we store:

• your name and email address,
• the topic you chose and your message,
• the page you sent it from, if any,
• the date and time, and
• a one-way, salted hash of your IP address (explained below).

We use this information only to read and reply to your message, keep a record of the conversation, and protect the form from abuse. A copy of your message, including your name and email address, may also be sent to our own inbox through our email provider so we can reply to you. Any chat notification we receive doesn't include your email address or message.

Emailing your photo

If you ask us to email you a photo from the photo editor, we use the address you enter only to send that one message, through our email provider. We don't store the address or add it to any mailing list.

Page feedback

When you answer "Was this page helpful?", we store the page address, your answer, any optional comment, the date and time, and a hashed IP address. We use feedback only to improve our content. Please don't include personal details in comments.

Hashed IP addresses

To prevent spam and abuse, we limit how many messages, emails, and photo uploads can be sent from one connection. We don't store your IP address. Instead we store a one-way hash (a scrambled value that can't practically be turned back into the address). Rate-limit records are deleted automatically within about an hour.

Information collected automatically

Like most websites, our hosting provider processes technical information needed to deliver pages, such as your IP address, browser type, the page requested, and the time of the request. Our server logs record requests to our forms (for example, the route, response status, and timing) to keep the service reliable and secure. Logs don't include message contents or email addresses.

Cookies and local storage

We don't use advertising or analytics cookies. If you choose a light or dark theme, your browser saves that preference in local storage on your device so the site remembers it. It isn't sent to us.

Who we share information with

We don't sell or rent your information. We share it only with service providers that help us run the site, under their own security and privacy commitments:

• our website hosting provider, which serves pages and processes form requests,
• our database provider, which stores contact messages, feedback, and photo editor result records,
• our photo processing provider, which processes and stores photos uploaded to the photo editor, and
• our email provider, which delivers emails you ask us to send and contact messages sent to our inbox.

We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of our users or others.

How long we keep information

We keep contact messages for as long as needed to respond and keep a reasonable record of the conversation, and feedback for as long as it's useful for improving our content. Photo editor result records are deleted automatically after 7 days. Rate-limit records are deleted automatically within about an hour. You can ask us to delete your messages at any time.

Your choices and rights

You can ask us to access, correct, or delete the information we hold about you by using our contact page and choosing "Privacy request". Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under local law; we'll honor requests that apply to you.

Children

Our site is intended for a general audience and isn't directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children through our forms. Parents may use our tools to make a child's passport photo. Photos uploaded to the photo editor are handled as described above.

Security

We use encrypted connections (HTTPS), restrict access to stored messages, use hard-to-guess links for photo results, validate everything sent to our servers, and store IP addresses only as hashes. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, so please don't send sensitive information such as passport or Social Security numbers through our forms. Read more about our safeguards on our data security page.

Changes to this policy

If we change how we handle information — for example, if we add analytics or advertising — we'll update this page and the "last updated" date before the change takes effect.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Reach us through the contact page.