PRIVACY POLICY

This Privacy Policy explains how ThePaperLayer ("ThePaperLayer", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, stores, and processes information when you use our website, creative suite, and specialized web applications:

• Video FX Studio
• Screenshot Studio
• Paper Motion Studio

1. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

The information we process depends on how you interact with ThePaperLayer and which features or studios you choose to use. We only process information necessary to authenticate you, provide the creative tools, maintain security, and deliver customer support.

2. ACCOUNT INFORMATION

You can explore and use many features of ThePaperLayer anonymously. When you choose to sign in using Google Authentication, we receive basic identity information from Google via Firebase Authentication:

• Full Name: Used to personalize your workspace interface.
• Email Address: Used as your unique account credential and for service communications.
• Profile Photo URL: Displayed on your user avatar and navigation menu.
• Firebase User Identifier (UID): A unique alphanumeric ID assigned to your account.
• Authentication Provider Information: Details regarding your Google authentication session tokens.

Important: We do not receive, process, or store your Google password.

3. MARKETING CONSENT

Marketing communications are completely optional.

If you explicitly choose to opt in to receive ThePaperLayer announcements, template packs, and product updates, we may store:

• Marketing consent status (Opted In / Opted Out)
• Date and time timestamp of your consent record

Example consent: "I'd like to receive ThePaperLayer updates, new templates and creator tips."

Signing into ThePaperLayer does not automatically opt you into marketing communications. You can withdraw your marketing consent at any time.

4. CREATIVE PROJECT INFORMATION & ZERO CLOUD STORAGE

Creative projects created within ThePaperLayer may contain:

• Video clips, audio files, and screen recording footage (Video FX Studio)
• High-resolution UI screenshots, mockups, and annotations (Screenshot Studio)
• SVG vector drawings, paper textures, and stop-motion keyframes (Paper Motion Studio)
• Custom text, typography fonts, layer hierarchy, and timing curves
• Color grading LUTs, filters, shadows, and aspect ratio configurations

100% Client-Side Execution: Full editable project state and raw media assets are processed and stored locally in your browser using IndexedDB and GPU memory (HTML5 Canvas & WebCodecs).

Zero Cloud Media Storage: We do not upload your video files, audio tracks, screenshots, or creative artwork to our cloud servers or Firestore database.

5. .TPLAYER PROJECT FILES

ThePaperLayer allows creators to export and import portable, self-contained .tplayer project archive files.

A .tplayer file may package:

• Project settings and aspect ratios
• Layer hierarchies and animation keyframe tracks
• Custom text and typography parameters
• Locally embedded images and assets needed to reconstruct the project

Once exported, .tplayer files are stored entirely on your local machine under your control. You are responsible for safeguarding any project files containing proprietary or sensitive data.

6. HOW WE USE INFORMATION

We use collected personal information solely for legitimate operational and technical purposes:

• To provide, operate, and maintain ThePaperLayer creative suite;
• To authenticate users and maintain secure user accounts;
• To provide requested application features and local export tools;
• To process creator support tickets and answer inquiries;
• To maintain system integrity, detect abuse, and prevent fraud;
• To monitor application stability and fix hardware acceleration issues;
• To send critical service notices, security advisories, and transactional emails;
• To send optional product news and template updates where you have given explicit consent.

7. FIREBASE AND GOOGLE SIGN-IN

ThePaperLayer utilizes Firebase Authentication (a service provided by Google LLC) to provide secure Google Sign-In capabilities and Cloud Firestore for storing basic account profile metadata.

When signing in via Google, Firebase processes authentication tokens according to Google's Privacy Policy and standard security practices.

8. FIRESTORE DATABASE STORAGE

For registered users, we store a minimal profile document in Firebase Cloud Firestore keyed to your unique Firebase UID. This document contains:

• Firebase UID: Unique identifier
• Email: Your registered Google account email
• Display Name: Your Google profile name
• Profile Photo URL: Link to your Google avatar
• Authentication Provider: e.g., google.com
• Account Creation Timestamp: Date and time when your account was created
• Last Login Timestamp: Timestamp of your most recent session
• Marketing Consent Status: Boolean (true/false)
• Marketing Consent Timestamp: Date/time of marketing preference update

We do NOT store your creative video footage, raw recordings, canvas artwork, or completed project timelines in Firestore.

9. BROWSER STORAGE TECHNOLOGIES

ThePaperLayer makes extensive use of modern client-side browser storage:

• IndexedDB: Saves active project documents, layer states, asset blobs, and animation timelines locally on your hard drive, allowing you to resume work across sessions.
• LocalStorage: Saves lightweight UI preferences, canvas zoom levels, and recently selected studio presets.
• Browser Memory (RAM/VRAM): Holds active WebCodecs decoders and GPU render buffers during live rendering and export.
• Session Cookies: Maintained for Firebase authentication session integrity.

Note: Clearing your browser data/cache may remove locally cached IndexedDB projects. We strongly recommend exporting your work as .tplayer files to prevent accidental loss.

10. TECHNICAL & DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION

When you interact with our website and applications, technical infrastructure logs may automatically record:

• IP address and approximate geographic region
• Browser type, engine, and version
• Device type and operating system
• Hardware acceleration capabilities (e.g. WebCodecs, WebGL, WebGPU support)
• Referring website and pages visited
• Crash reports, diagnostic logs, and performance metrics

11. COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES

ThePaperLayer uses cookies and similar storage technologies for essential purposes:

• Authentication and secure session persistence
• Security and CSRF protection
• Creator workspace preferences (dark mode, layout toggles)
• Essential website functionality

For comprehensive details on our cookie management, please review our Cookie Policy.

12. ANALYTICS & TELEMETRY

Where analytics are enabled, we may collect aggregated telemetry regarding user interactions:

• Pages viewed and navigation pathways
• Studio tools and template categories selected
• Export attempts and render success/error rates
• Authentication events
• Device and browser performance indicators

We never send the actual visual or audio contents of your creative video projects or screenshots to analytics providers.

13. MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

If you have explicitly opted in, we may periodically send you:

• Product announcements and new studio releases
• New template packs, artwork bundles, and paper textures
• Creator tutorials, workflow tips, and video editing guides
• Special discounts or feature early-access invitations

You can opt out or unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the email or by contacting us.

14. HOW WE SHARE INFORMATION

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

We may share personal information only with vetted third-party service providers who assist us in operating ThePaperLayer:

• Authentication: Google Firebase Authentication
• Hosting & Edge CDN: Cloud hosting infrastructure and edge routing
• Security & Infrastructure: DDoS mitigation and firewall providers
• Communication: Transactional email service providers

We may also disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or legal process, or when reasonably necessary to protect the safety, property, or legal rights of ThePaperLayer, our creators, or the public.

15. DATA RETENTION

We retain your account profile information only for as long as necessary to:

• Provide and maintain your access to the Service
• Maintain security and prevent fraud
• Comply with applicable legal, tax, or regulatory requirements
• Resolve disputes and enforce our legal agreements

Projects and artwork saved locally in your browser IndexedDB remain entirely subject to your local device and browser retention controls.

16. DATA SECURITY

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational security measures, including HTTPS/TLS encryption in transit, strict access control policies, and regular security reviews to protect your data.

Because your creative media rendering occurs client-side on your local GPU, your high-resolution videos and private screenshots are inherently insulated from cloud-side database breaches.

17. YOUR RIGHTS (GDPR, CCPA & GLOBAL)

Depending on your location and applicable privacy laws, you have specific rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): Request full deletion of your account profile.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Revoke marketing consent at any time without penalty.
• Right to Object: Object to processing of your data under certain circumstances.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will never discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected].

18. ACCOUNT DELETION

You may request permanent deletion of your ThePaperLayer account and associated personal data at any time by sending an email from your registered Google address to:

Email: [email protected]

Upon verification, we will delete your Firestore user document and authentication profile within 30 business days, except where retention is required by law.

Note: Account deletion does not affect .tplayer project files or MP4/PNG renders already saved to your local device.

19. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

ThePaperLayer is a general-purpose creator platform and is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in the EEA/UK). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

If a parent or guardian discovers that a child has provided personal information without consent, please notify us at [email protected], and we will promptly delete the data.

20. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

Our infrastructure and third-party service providers (such as Google Cloud / Firebase) may host and process account metadata in data centers located in the United States or other global jurisdictions.

Where international transfers occur, we rely on standard contractual clauses (SCCs) and data protection safeguards compliant with applicable laws.

21. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES & EXTERNAL LINKS

ThePaperLayer may include links to third-party resources, tutorials, or integrations. This Privacy Policy applies strictly to ThePaperLayer. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites or services you interact with.

22. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect new features, studios, or changes in legal regulations.

When revisions occur, we will update the "Last Updated" and "Effective Date" at the top of this page. Continued use of ThePaperLayer after changes are published constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

23. CONTACT INFORMATION

If you have any questions, privacy concerns, or data rights requests, please contact us: