Privacy
The desktop application is offline. Images opened in the Lab stay in the browser. The website uses privacy-preserving aggregate analytics only on the production domain.
Desktop application
SideScopes has no network access, account, telemetry, error-reporting service, or automatic updater. Captured pixels remain on the computer.
The application writes a local preferences file. It writes a diagnostic log only when recording is requested from the Diagnostics menu or enabled through its development environment variables. Diagnostic logs can contain window titles and application names and should be reviewed before sharing.
SideScopes Lab
On the first use of a Lab build, its code and sample images are downloaded
from media.sidescopes.org when you choose Load the Lab. An image you
select from your computer is decoded and analyzed inside the browser. The
file and its pixels are not uploaded by SideScopes.
The Lab uses browser localStorage on media.sidescopes.org to retain its
interface preferences and whether the guided tour has been completed. It does
not store the image you loaded. Clearing site data for that origin removes the
saved preferences.
After a Lab build loads successfully, the website stores the identifier of
that exact build in localStorage on sidescopes.org. On a later visit it can
open the same build from the browser cache without asking again. A new build
has a new identifier and requires confirmation; clearing site data removes the
identifier. Browsers may evict cached files, in which case the build is
downloaded again when it opens.
Website and analytics
The site has no account, advertising, or cross-site tracking. Its pages do not set an application cookie.
If you select a light or dark reading theme in Learn or Docs, the website
stores that preference in browser localStorage on sidescopes.org. Choosing
System removes the stored value. The preference contains no identifying
information and is not sent to SideScopes.
On sidescopes.org, Cloudflare Web Analytics can load after a page view. The
analytics beacon uses no cookies or localStorage and does not fingerprint
individual visitors. It reports aggregate page and performance measurements;
Cloudflare states that Web Analytics does not collect or use visitors’ personal
data. See Cloudflare’s documentation for
data collection
and Core Web Vitals.
The analytics script is omitted when any of the following applies:
- the browser sends Do Not Track;
- the browser sends Global Privacy Control;
- the site is a preview, local development copy, or mirror rather than
sidescopes.org.
Blocking the script does not affect the website or Lab. As with any website, normal requests still pass through the hosting and content-delivery providers, which process network metadata needed to deliver and protect the service.
Downloads and external links
Release downloads and source code are hosted by GitHub. Opening a GitHub link or downloading a release is subject to GitHub’s privacy statement. Links to technical references are operated by their respective publishers.
Questions
Questions or corrections can be filed in the public issue tracker.