How It WorksFeaturesFree ToolsPricingBlogCreate Your Photo →

Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 5, 2026

1. How Your Photo Is Handled

Your photo is permanently deleted within 24 hours and never shared or used for any other purpose.

Step 1 — You upload your photo

Your photo is sent via TLS 1.3 encrypted connection to our servers hosted on AWS (us-east-1 region). It is never transmitted unencrypted.

Step 2 — Processing

Your photo is processed by AWS Rekognition (face detection, compliance checks) and our cropping/background removal pipeline. The original upload and processed result are stored temporarily in AWS S3.

Step 3 — Delivery

After payment, your compliant photo and print sheet are emailed to you via Resend. A download link is generated that expires after 24 hours.

Step 4 — Deletion

All photo files (original upload, processed versions, print sheets) are automatically deleted from S3 within 24 hours of payment. Download links also expire after 24 hours. This is enforced by an S3 lifecycle policy — it is automatic and cannot be overridden by us. After 24 hours, your photos do not exist on our servers in any form.

What we never do with your photos:

  • Never use them to train AI or machine learning models
  • Never share them with third parties (beyond AWS processing)
  • Never sell, license, or monetize your photos
  • Never retain them beyond the 24-hour window
  • Never access them manually unless you contact support with a specific issue (and only within the 24-hour window)

2. What Data We Collect

Processed photo

After editing, the final cropped image is uploaded to AWS S3 for compliance checks and print-sheet generation. Stored temporarily — deleted within 24 hours.

Email address

Provided at checkout so we can deliver your photo. Not used for marketing unless you explicitly opt in.

Payment information

Processed by Stripe. We never see or store your card number, CVV, or billing details.

Document type selection

Used to apply the correct photo dimensions and compliance rules.

Analytics (PostHog)

Anonymous usage analytics to understand how the editor is used. No photos are sent to PostHog. No personally identifiable information is tracked. You can opt out by enabling "Do Not Track" in your browser.

3. How We Use Your Data

  • Generate your compliant passport photo and print sheet
  • Run compliance checks on the processed image
  • Send your photo via email after payment
  • Process your payment through Stripe
  • Provide customer support if you contact us

We do not use your photos to train AI models, share them with third parties, or use them for any purpose other than delivering your order.

4. Data Retention

DataRetentionHow deleted
Photos (original + processed)24 hours from paymentS3 lifecycle policy (automatic)
Download links24 hours from paymentSigned URL expiry (automatic)
Email address90 daysManual deletion after support window
Order metadata90 daysDatabase cleanup job
Payment recordsPer Stripe's policyManaged by Stripe
Analytics90 daysPostHog auto-expiry

After 90 days, the only record of your order that exists is in Stripe's payment system, which we are legally required to retain for tax and refund purposes.

5. Third-Party Services

AWS

S3 for temporary photo storage; Rekognition for face detection. Processed in us-east-1.

Stripe

Secure payment processing. PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant.

Resend

Email delivery of your photo files.

Cloudflare

Website hosting and CDN.

Anthropic (Claude)

Used for generating plain-English explanations when a compliance check fails. The cropped photo may be sent to Claude's Vision API for analysis. Anthropic does not use API inputs for training. See Anthropic's privacy policy: anthropic.com/privacy

PostHog

Anonymous product analytics. No photos, email addresses, or personally identifiable information are sent to PostHog.

6. Cookies & Analytics

Essential cookies only

PhotoPass uses cookies required for the website to function:

  • Stripe checkout session cookie (payment processing)
  • Vercel analytics (anonymous, no PII)

PostHog analytics

We use PostHog for anonymous product analytics (e.g., which editor step users drop off at). PostHog does not receive your photos, email, or any personally identifiable information. We respect the “Do Not Track” browser setting.

We do not use:

  • Advertising or retargeting cookies
  • Facebook Pixel, Google Ads, or any ad tracking
  • Third-party tracking cookies of any kind

7. Your Rights

For all users:

  • Request deletion of your data at any time
  • Request a copy of any data we hold about you
  • Withdraw consent for data processing

For EU/EEA residents (GDPR):

  • Right to data portability
  • Right to restrict processing
  • Right to object to processing
  • Right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
  • Legal basis for processing: contract performance (delivering your photo order)

For California residents (CCPA):

  • Right to know what personal information we collect
  • Right to delete your personal information
  • Right to opt out of the sale of personal information
  • We do not sell your personal information

Since photos are automatically deleted within 24 hours, in most cases there is no photo data remaining by the time a request is made. Email support@photopass.ai for any data request and we will respond within 48 hours.

8. Security Measures

All data transmitted via TLS 1.3 encryption
Photos stored in AWS S3 with server-side encryption (AES-256)
No photos stored on local servers or employee devices
Stripe PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant payment processing
Application hosted on Vercel with automatic security updates
Backend hosted on Render with isolated containers

We do not store passwords because we do not have user accounts. We do not store payment card details because Stripe handles all payment processing.

9. Children's Privacy

PhotoPass does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Passport photos of minors should be taken and submitted by a parent or legal guardian.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. Continued use of PhotoPass after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or data requests, email support@photopass.ai and we'll respond within 48 hours.