PicTrade Privacy Policy
PicTrade is provided by Anthony Russo. If PicTrade is transferred to or published by a legally formed business entity before launch, this policy will be updated to reflect the correct legal publisher.
Questions about this policy can be sent to support@pictrade.app.
The short version
PicTrade is designed so the original photos and videos exchanged in a trade do not get uploaded to PicTrade's servers. Those files transfer directly between participants' devices.
PicTrade does use its servers for things required to operate the service, including accounts, trade information, protected photo/video fingerprints, purchase records, and small optional images such as profile photos and trade covers.
PicTrade does not sell your personal information, does not serve advertising, and does not use advertising or tracking SDKs.
Information PicTrade collects
Account information
When you create a PicTrade account using Sign in with Apple or Google, PicTrade stores:
- a PicTrade account ID;
- the provider you used to sign in;
- the stable account identifier provided by Apple or Google.
PicTrade does not use your email address as your account identity and does not require Apple or Google to provide your email address.
Account information is kept until you delete your PicTrade account, except where certain purchase records need to be retained as described below.
Display name and profile photo
You may choose a display name and optional profile photo so other people in a trade can recognize you.
If you sign in with Google and have not already set, skipped, or removed a display name on your device, PicTrade may start your display name from the name on your Google account. You can change or remove that name at any time in your PicTrade profile. PicTrade does not import your Google profile photo; a profile photo is used only if you choose one.
If you choose a profile photo, PicTrade creates a small copy for use in the app rather than uploading your full original photo.
Trade information
When a trade is created, PicTrade may receive information such as:
- trade or event name;
- description;
- event date;
- optional venue name;
- optional venue address and coordinates;
- participants;
- trade status.
Temporary trade data is generally retained for up to 24 hours, except information intentionally kept on your device as part of Past Trades.
Trade cover
A host may choose an optional trade cover image.
PicTrade reduces the image on the host's device to a small copy of no more than approximately 960 × 600 pixels and removes location and other image metadata before it is uploaded.
The server copy is temporary and is deleted when the trade expires. A participant's device may keep the cover locally as part of Past Trades until that trade is removed from the device.
Photo and video fingerprints
To determine which photos or videos each participant is missing, PicTrade creates protected fingerprints from media on your device.
These fingerprints are one-way identifiers used for comparison. They are protected using trade-specific information so they cannot be used to reconstruct the original image or video and are not intended to be matched across unrelated trades.
Trade fingerprints are temporary and are generally deleted within 24 hours.
Purchases and subscriptions
PicTrade may store information about App Store purchases, including:
- transaction identifiers;
- the product purchased;
- subscription expiration information;
- refund or revocation status;
- the PicTrade account associated with an entitlement.
This information is used to grant, restore, verify, or revoke paid features.
Certain purchase records may be retained even after an account is deleted when necessary to correctly process restores, refunds, revocations, or prevent reuse of a transaction.
Apple processes the payment itself. PicTrade does not receive your credit card number.
Device identifier
PicTrade may create a random app-specific device identifier used for compatibility with older unlock and device-related functionality.
This identifier is not your advertising identifier.
Your photo library
PicTrade requests access to your photo library so it can:
- identify photos and videos that match a trade;
- determine which items you already have;
- send approved media directly to other participants;
- save received media to your photo library;
- let you choose an optional profile photo or trade cover.
The original photos and videos exchanged in a trade remain on participants' devices and transfer directly between devices.
PicTrade's backend does not receive or store those original traded files.
The exceptions are the small optional profile-photo and trade-cover copies described in this policy.
Location information
PicTrade does not request your device's current GPS location.
When matching photos to an event, the app may read location information already stored inside photos on your device.
That photo-location information is processed on the device and is not uploaded to PicTrade for photo matching.
A trade host may separately enter or select a venue. Venue information, including an address or coordinates when provided, may be sent to PicTrade as part of the trade details.
Information PicTrade does not collect for advertising
PicTrade does not collect or use:
- advertising identifiers;
- contacts;
- browsing history;
- data for targeted advertising;
- data for cross-app tracking.
PicTrade currently does not include an advertising or third-party analytics SDK.
Who receives information
Other trade participants
People participating in the same trade may see information necessary for the trade, including:
- your display name;
- your optional profile photo;
- trade information;
- the trade cover.
Original photos and videos you choose to share are sent directly to their devices.
Apple
Apple processes App Store purchases and Sign in with Apple under Apple's own terms and privacy practices.
If you choose Continue with Google, Google processes the Google sign-in flow under Google's own terms and privacy practices.
Render
PicTrade's production backend is hosted using Render.
Render may process technical server and network information necessary to operate the backend.
MongoDB Atlas
PicTrade uses MongoDB Atlas to store production database information such as accounts, trade records, entitlements, and other server-side data described in this policy.
Server logs
PicTrade's servers may create technical logs containing information such as:
- network address;
- request path;
- request time;
- response status;
- technical error information.
PicTrade is designed not to place authentication tokens, purchase credentials, photo/video contents, or protected media fingerprints into normal application logs.
Server logs are retained according to PicTrade's production hosting configuration for up to 7 days.
How long information is kept
Different information is retained for different periods:
- temporary trade information and fingerprints: generally up to 24 hours;
- account information: until the account is deleted;
- locally saved Past Trades: until removed from the device;
- transaction records: as necessary to support purchases, restores, refunds, revocations, and fraud/replay prevention;
- server logs: up to 7 days.
Account deletion
You can request deletion directly inside PicTrade:
Profile → Delete account
Deleting your account removes or invalidates information associated with your active PicTrade account, including:
- the account;
- active sessions;
- Apple or Google sign-in links;
- personal unlocks tied to the account;
- locally stored profile and Past Trades information on that device.
Photos and videos you previously received remain in your Apple Photos library unless you delete them yourself.
Certain App Store transaction records may remain so PicTrade can correctly process future refunds, revocations, restores, and prevent transaction reuse.
Deleting a PicTrade account does not automatically cancel an App Store subscription. Subscriptions are managed through your Apple Account/App Store subscription settings.
Your choices
You can:
- delete your PicTrade account from inside the app;
- remove individual Past Trades from your device;
- choose not to add a profile photo;
- choose not to add a trade cover;
- participate in a trade without providing a venue.
Children's privacy
PicTrade is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that an account belongs to a child under the applicable minimum age, we may delete the account and associated information as required by law.
Security
PicTrade uses technical measures intended to protect account, trade, purchase, and media-transfer information.
Original traded photo and video files are transferred directly between participant devices rather than being stored by PicTrade's backend.
No internet service can guarantee absolute security, but PicTrade is designed to minimize the amount of original media that needs to leave a user's device.
Changes to this policy
PicTrade may update this Privacy Policy as the service changes.
When material changes are made, the effective date at the top of this page will be updated.
Contact
For privacy questions or requests:
Email: support@pictrade.app