vaguely

Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Vaguely ('we', 'our', or 'us'), based in Ontario, Canada, is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website vaguely.app and any related mobile applications (the 'Service'). Please read this policy carefully. If you disagree with its terms, please discontinue use of the Service.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information:

• Account information: When you create an account, we collect your email address and a hashed version of your password.
• Search data: The descriptions, queries, and field inputs you submit. We use this to improve search quality and to build our community memory of confirmed identifications.
• Uploaded images, audio, and video: If you upload a photo, screenshot, audio clip, or video to help with a search, we process it to extract a text description of its contents. Images and video frames are sent to our AI providers (Anthropic and Google Vision API) for analysis. Audio is processed to identify music or transcribe speech. Uploaded files are used only to perform your search and to generate a text description; we do not use uploaded images to build a facial-recognition database, and we do not retain the original files longer than necessary to complete the analysis. If you upload a photo of a person, only a text description of searchable features is retained — not the image itself.
• Usage data: Pages visited, features used, session duration, and interaction patterns collected through anonymised analytics.
• Device and technical data: For anonymous visitors, IP addresses are stored as a one-way SHA-256 hash with a salt and cannot be reversed. For authenticated users, you are identified by your account ID, not your IP address.
• Payment information: Subscription billing is processed entirely by Apple App Store or Google Play. We do not store or process payment card details.
• Communications: If you contact us via the Feedback form or support email, we retain that correspondence.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate, maintain, and improve the Service
• Process and deliver search results
• Build and refine our community memory database of confirmed identifications
• Monitor for abuse and enforce our policies
• Respond to your support inquiries
• Send transactional emails (e.g. password reset) — we do not send marketing emails without your consent
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Sharing of Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information with:

• Service providers: Supabase (database and authentication), Anthropic (AI search processing), Vercel (hosting), Google (Vision API), and RevenueCat (subscription management). Each is bound by confidentiality obligations.
• Law enforcement or regulators: Where required by applicable law, court order, or governmental authority.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

5. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account remains active. Search history is stored locally on your device and may be deleted at any time using the history panel controls. When a search is completed, a snapshot of your results is saved to our servers to enable the share-by-link feature; this snapshot is linked to a randomly generated identifier and is not associated with your account unless you choose to share it. When you confirm a result as correct, the text of your query is converted into a numerical representation (an embedding) and stored in our semantic cache to help answer similar future queries from other users — no personally identifiable information is retained in this process. To request deletion of any data we hold about you, contact us at info@vaguely.app. Anonymised aggregate data may be retained indefinitely for analytical purposes.

6. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal data, to data portability, and to withdraw consent. To exercise these rights, contact us at info@vaguely.app. We will respond within 30 days or provide notice if an extension is required under applicable law.

7. Cookies and Storage

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies as described in our Cookie and Storage Policy.

8. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately at info@vaguely.app.

9. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encryption in transit (TLS), hashed storage of sensitive identifiers, and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the new policy on this page with an updated effective date. For existing users, material changes will take effect no sooner than 14 days after notice is posted. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at: info@vaguely.app