1. Scope and Local-First Architecture
This Privacy Policy applies to the services provided at AlbumSorter.com (the "Service", "we", "us", or "our"). Unlike traditional cloud photo lockers and software-as-a-service (SaaS) photo galleries that force you to upload your files onto corporate server farms, Album Sorter operates as a client-side web application.
When you drag, drop, or paste images into Album Sorter, all text extraction, image indexing, category grouping, and search operations happen inside your computer or mobile browser sandbox. Your images do not leave your device unless you explicitly click to create an encrypted shareable link.
2. Information We Do NOT Collect
Because of our privacy-by-design structure, we do NOT collect, inspect, store, or monetize:
- Your Images and Screenshots: We do not receive copies of your homework screenshots, scanned documents, camera roll photos, or whiteboard pictures.
- Extracted OCR Text Content: The text recognized inside your images (formulas, names, code snippets, notes) remains stored exclusively in your local browser storage (IndexedDB).
- Private Notes: Markdown notes, scratchpad edits, and formula annotations are saved locally on your device.
- Biometric or Facial Data: Album Sorter does not employ facial recognition or biometric profiling.
3. Information Processed Locally on Your Device
Album Sorter uses standard modern browser storage mechanisms to provide a seamless offline-capable experience:
- IndexedDB: Stores your image metadata, thumbnail references, and inverted full-text search index so you can search thousands of images instantly.
- LocalStorage: Stores your interface preferences, such as selected theme (Dark or Light Mode), preferred display language (out of our 20 supported languages), and AI mode settings.
- Cache Storage: Caches the client-side WebAssembly OCR engine (Tesseract.js worker and language traineddata models) so you can use OCR without re-downloading it every session.
You retain complete control over this data. Clearing your browser cache or site data completely removes all stored images and indexes from your machine.
4. Peer-to-Peer Mobile Sync & Shared Decks
Album Sorter offers optional collaborative and cross-device workflows:
A. QR Phone Sync: When you connect your smartphone to your desktop, the connection is negotiated using WebRTC peer-to-peer signalling. Photos taken on your phone stream directly to your computer over your local network or encrypted peer tunnel. The relay server acts only as an initial handshake coordinator and does not store your photos.
B. Shareable Study Decks: If you explicitly choose to generate a public share link to collaborate with classmates or colleagues, only the selected images and notes are published to our temporary storage bucket. Shared links are unlisted and accessible only to people holding the unique link URL.
5. Third-Party Infrastructure and Edge Services
To deliver fast global performance and protect against malicious cyber attacks, we use select trusted infrastructure partners:
- Content Delivery Network (CDN): Static assets (HTML, CSS, JS bundles, and WebAssembly binaries) are served via edge networks (e.g., Cloudflare) to ensure fast load times worldwide. Edge networks may log standard HTTP request metadata (IP address, user-agent) for DDoS mitigation and security analysis.
- Optional AI APIs: If you choose to configure custom AI assistant keys (such as OpenAI, Gemini, or Anthropic) in the AI Mode settings, your API keys are stored solely in your browser's LocalStorage and are dispatched directly to the respective AI provider's API. We never log or proxy your secret API keys.
6. Student & Children's Privacy (FERPA & COPPA)
Album Sorter is built for academic learners of all ages. Because we do not require account registration, do not collect personal identifiers, and do not transmit student records to remote servers, our architecture inherently complies with the principles of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
7. Your Rights and Data Deletion
You have full autonomy over your data:
- Export: You can export your study notes, OCR transcripts, and album groupings at any time.
- Instant Purge: You can delete any individual image or wipe your entire local library directly from the application workspace settings.
- Browser Clearing: Deleting your browser's site cookies and storage for
albumsorter.comimmediately obliterates all stored materials.
8. Contact Us Regarding Privacy
If you have questions, feedback, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or our local-first privacy practices, please contact our privacy compliance team:
Album Sorter Privacy Team
Email: privacy@albumsorter.com
Website: https://albumsorter.com
Response Time: Typically within 24 to 48 business hours