DCT is built around one idea: your photos belong to you, in storage you control. We don't keep a copy of your photos on our servers. Every photo is encrypted in your browser before it ever leaves your device, then sent straight to your own cloud storage account — starting with Dropbox, with more providers planned. This page explains exactly what information we do handle, why, and what we never do with it.
To operate accounts, approvals, and sign-in, our database stores the following. Nothing here includes the actual content of your photos.
| Data | Why we store it |
|---|---|
| Email address | Account identification, sign-in, and one-time login codes |
| Password (hashed, never in plain text) | Authenticating your sign-in |
| Encryption salt | Used only in your browser to derive your personal encryption key — we cannot use it to read your files |
| Account status & role | Admin approval workflow (pending / approved / denied) and permissions |
| Temporary one-time codes & login attempt counters | Verifying sign-in and preventing brute-force attempts; codes expire automatically |
| Cloud storage connection (e.g. Dropbox access/refresh tokens) | Lets the app upload/download files to your connected cloud account on your behalf |
| File metadata (file name, folder path, encryption IV, file type, size, upload date) | Letting you browse and retrieve your own encrypted files |
We never store your raw password, and we never store the decrypted contents of your photos anywhere on our servers.
When you upload a photo, it is encrypted on your device using AES-256 before it ever reaches our server. The encrypted file is then forwarded directly to the cloud storage account you connected — today that's Dropbox, using an authorization you grant directly to Dropbox via OAuth. We keep only the access token needed to talk to that account and a pointer (file name and path) so the app can list and fetch your files later.
We are adding support for additional cloud providers over time. When a new provider is added, the same principle applies: your files are stored in an account you own and control, not on our infrastructure, and this policy will be updated to name each supported provider.
We do not use your information for advertising, profiling, analytics resale, or any purpose beyond operating DCT for you.
We do not sell or rent your personal information. Limited data is shared only where necessary to run the service:
We do not share data with advertisers, data brokers, or analytics companies.
DCT uses a single session cookie to keep you signed in, and a hidden security token (CSRF) to protect form submissions. We do not use tracking or advertising cookies.
We keep your account and file-metadata records for as long as your account is active. One-time login codes expire within minutes and are cleared after use. If you'd like your account and associated records deleted, contact us using the details below — note that deleting your DCT account does not delete files already stored in your own connected cloud account, since those remain yours to manage directly with that provider.
DCT is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them.
If we make material changes — such as adding a new cloud storage provider or changing how data is handled — we will update the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you by email.
Questions about this policy or your data? Reach out to the administrator at the contact address provided when your account was approved.