Privacy Policy
Last Updated: December 2024
1. Introduction
TempSend ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you use our privacy-first file sharing service. By using TempSend, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.
Our Core Principle: We believe in privacy by design. All encryption happens in your browser, and we never have access to your files or encryption keys.
2. Information We Collect
TempSend collects minimal metadata only. We do not collect or store:
- File contents (all files are encrypted client-side before upload)
- Encryption keys (keys never leave your device)
- Personal identification information
- IP addresses (we do not log IP addresses)
- Browser information or device identifiers
- Usage analytics or tracking cookies
What we do collect:
- File Metadata: Filename, file size, MIME type, and expiry timestamp (stored in encrypted database)
- Room Metadata: Room ID, creation timestamp, and expiry timestamp
- Encrypted Blobs: Files are stored as encrypted binary data (ciphertext only)
- Encryption IVs: Initialization vectors for AES-GCM encryption (required for decryption)
- Chat Messages: Encrypted chat messages (ciphertext only, keys never stored)
- Vote Data: Anonymous vote counts and voter fingerprints (hashed, not personally identifiable)
3. How Encryption Works
TempSend uses end-to-end encryption with the following security measures:
- AES-GCM Encryption: All files are encrypted using AES-256-GCM (Advanced Encryption Standard with Galois/Counter Mode) in your browser before upload
- Client-Side Key Generation: Encryption keys are generated randomly in your browser using the Web Crypto API
- Keys Never Leave Your Device: Encryption keys are only included in URL fragments (after the #), which are never sent to the server
- Unique IVs: Each file uses a unique initialization vector (IV) for encryption
- No Key Storage: We have no way to decrypt your files. If you lose the key, the files cannot be recovered
Technical Details:
- Encryption algorithm: AES-256-GCM
- Key derivation: PBKDF2 with 100,000 iterations (SHA-256)
- Key storage: URL fragment only (never transmitted to server)
- IV generation: Cryptographically secure random IV per file
Password Protection: Rooms can be password protected, which adds an additional layer of security. However, if you share the URL (which contains the encryption key), anyone with the URL can access the room even without the password. Password protection is useful for preventing unauthorized access if someone gains access to the URL, but it does not prevent access if the URL itself is shared.
Verification Limitations: Although we would love to say it's fully verifiable that the keys are never shared with the server, it is theoretically impossible to do so without giving full access to the server itself to everyone. Which in itself is a major security flaw. Thank you for your understanding. While you can inspect the client-side JavaScript code and verify that encryption happens in your browser, there is no way to definitively prove that the server never receives encryption keys without compromising the server's security.
4. Data Storage and Retention
Server Location: Our servers are located in Switzerland, providing strong privacy protections under Swiss data protection laws.
Data Retention:
- Files and rooms automatically expire based on their expiry settings
- Expired content is permanently deleted from our servers
- No backups are kept of expired content
- Database records are deleted when content expires
- Encrypted file blobs are deleted from disk when content expires
Data Deletion: When you delete a file or room, or when content expires, it is immediately and permanently removed from our servers. We cannot recover deleted or expired content.
5. No Tracking or Analytics
TempSend does not use:
- Analytics services (Google Analytics, etc.)
- Tracking cookies or pixels
- Third-party advertising networks
- User behavior tracking
- IP address logging
- Browser fingerprinting
We do not track your usage, collect analytics, or share data with third parties.
6. Chat and Communication
TempSend includes encrypted chat functionality within rooms:
- All chat messages are encrypted client-side using AES-GCM before transmission
- Chat messages are stored in memory on the server (not persisted to disk)
- Messages are automatically deleted when the room expires
- Usernames are randomly generated (diceware + number) and not linked to personal information
- We do not log or monitor chat content
7. Abuse Reporting
TempSend includes an abuse reporting system:
- Reports are stored with minimal metadata (target type, target ID, reporter hash)
- Reporter identification uses a hashed fingerprint (not personally identifiable)
- Content is automatically deleted after a threshold of unique reports
- We do not log the content of reported files or messages
8. Your Rights
Under applicable data protection laws, you have the right to:
- Access: Request information about data we hold (though we collect minimal data)
- Deletion: Delete your files and rooms at any time (they will be permanently removed)
- No Data Portability: Since we don't store decrypted content, we cannot provide data exports
- No Opt-Out: We don't collect personal data that requires opt-out mechanisms
9. Third-Party Services
TempSend does not use third-party services that collect user data. We do not integrate with:
- Analytics platforms
- Advertising networks
- Social media platforms
- Content delivery networks (CDNs) that track users
- Third-party authentication services
10. Security Measures
We implement the following security measures:
- All file transfers use HTTPS/TLS encryption
- Client-side encryption before upload (AES-256-GCM)
- Secure random number generation for keys and IVs
- No plaintext storage of files or keys
- Automatic expiry and deletion of content
- Swiss server location with strong data protection laws
11. Children's Privacy
TempSend is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.
12. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:
- Email: [Your contact email]
- Website: TempSend
14. Legal Basis (GDPR)
For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), our legal basis for processing minimal metadata is:
- Legitimate Interest: Providing the file sharing service requires minimal metadata storage
- Consent: By using TempSend, you consent to the collection of minimal metadata necessary for the service
- Contractual Necessity: Metadata is necessary to fulfill the service contract