Privacy Policy
Last updated 1 November 2026
This policy explains what information viewfinder360 collects, why, who it's shared with, and the choices you have. In this policy, "we" means viewfinder360, which is responsible for your personal data. You can reach us at hello@viewfinder360.com.
What we collect
| Information | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Your account | Your email address and password. Passwords are stored in a scrambled (hashed) form, so we can't read them. |
| Photos and camera frames | The photos you scan, and frames from your camera in Live mode, sent for analysis when a scan runs. |
| Location and direction | Your GPS position and compass direction if you allow them, the location saved in a photo you upload, or a rough position based on your internet connection. |
| Questions you ask | What you type in the Ask tab, with a small copy of your photo, so the AI can answer. |
| Usage | The credits you've used, and when you ran a scan or Live session. |
| Messages to us | Feedback and upgrade requests, your email address, and your browser and device type for feedback. |
| Technical information | Your IP address and basic request details, held in our service providers' logs. |
Why we use it
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Creating your account, identifying buildings, answering your questions, and managing your credits | Providing the service you asked for (contract) |
| Using your precise location and compass | Your consent, given through your device's permission prompt. You can withdraw it in your device settings. |
| Sending account emails, such as confirmations and password resets | Providing the service (contract) |
| Responding to feedback and upgrade requests, and improving the service | Our legitimate interest in running and improving viewfinder360 |
| Preventing abuse and keeping the service secure | Our legitimate interest in protecting the service and its users |
We don't sell your personal data, and we don't use it for advertising.
Who we share it with
We use these service providers to run viewfinder360. They only receive what they need for their part of the service.
| Provider | What they do | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Google (Gemini) | AI analysis of buildings, and chat answers | Photos, camera frames, approximate location and your questions |
| Supabase | Accounts and database, hosted in the EU | Account details, usage, feedback and upgrade requests |
| Vercel | Website hosting | Everything sent to our servers, including technical information |
| Mailtrap | Sending account emails | Your email address and the email's content |
| OpenStreetMap and Wikipedia/Wikidata services | Finding named places near you, and building facts | The location being searched, or a building's name, sent from our servers |
| ipapi.co | Rough location when GPS isn't available | Your IP address, sent directly from your browser |
We may also share information if the law requires it, or to protect our rights or the safety of others.
International transfers
Some of these providers process data outside the UK and European Economic Area, including in the United States. Where that happens, we rely on the safeguards the law requires, such as adequacy decisions and standard contractual clauses.
How long we keep it
- Account details, usage and messages to us: for as long as you have an account. When an account is deleted, these are removed with it.
- Photos and camera frames: we don't save these to your account. They're sent for analysis, and the resulting building outlines can be held in a temporary cache for up to a day.
- Chats: saved in your browser on your device, not on our servers, and cleared when you sign out.
- Technical logs: kept for a limited period by our service providers.
Your rights
Under UK and EU data protection law, you have the right to:
- ask for a copy of your personal data
- have inaccurate data corrected
- have your data deleted, including your whole account
- object to, or ask us to restrict, how we use your data
- receive your data in a portable format
- withdraw consent at any time
To use any of these rights, email hello@viewfinder360.com. If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data, you can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
Cookies
We use essential cookies and similar technologies. Our Cookie Policy has the details.
Children
viewfinder360 isn't intended for anyone under 16, and we don't knowingly collect their data. If you think a child has given us their data, please contact us and we'll delete it.
Keeping your data secure
Information is encrypted in transit, and access to accounts and data is restricted. No online service is completely secure, so please use a strong password that you don't use anywhere else.
Changes to this policy
We'll post any changes here and update the date above. If a change is significant, we'll tell you by email.