Privacy Policy
Photaf Panorama by Bengigi Studio1. Introduction
Bengigi Studio ("Bengigi", "we", "our", or "us") operates the Photaf Panorama Android application, the Photaf website, and the Photaf community gallery (together, the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, when it may be shared, and the choices you have.
This policy is intended to describe the Service as currently operated. Some data collection depends on the version of the app you use, your device settings, your region, and whether you sign in or upload content. The canonical copy of this policy is available at www.photaf.com/privacy.
2. Information We Collect
| Category | Examples | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Camera, photos, and local app data | Images captured or selected by you, temporary stitching files, device orientation or motion sensor data used to align photos. | Capture, stitch, preview, save, and share panoramas. This data is generally processed on your device unless you choose to upload or share it. |
| Optional location data | Latitude and longitude if you enable location features or provide location with an upload. | Geotag panoramas and associate a place with your uploaded panorama when you choose to provide it. |
| Google sign-in profile | Google user ID, name, email address, and profile picture provided by Google when you sign in. | Authenticate you, show account controls, identify your uploads, and allow account export or deletion. |
| Uploaded panorama content | Panorama image, generated thumbnails, caption, visibility setting, image dimensions, capture geometry, app package, app version, creation date. | Host your panoramas, display public gallery items, generate thumbnails, support 360-degree viewing, and troubleshoot compatibility. |
| Community actions | Votes, content reports, report reason, report description, reporter email address if needed. | Operate ranking, moderation, DMCA handling, abuse prevention, and support. |
| Technical and security data | IP address, user agent, request logs, error logs, rate-limit records, session data stored in your browser session storage. | Secure the Service, prevent abuse, debug errors, and maintain reliable operation. |
| Analytics and advertising data | Limited website analytics and, on pages or app versions that show ads, advertising identifiers, cookie or device identifiers, ad interactions, and approximate usage data handled by advertising partners. | Understand aggregate usage, measure performance, and support free versions of the app or website with advertising where enabled. |
| Support communications | Email address, message content, attachments, and related correspondence when you contact us. | Respond to requests, investigate issues, and keep records of support or legal matters. |
3. What We Do Not Do
- We do not sell your uploaded panoramas.
- We do not publish private panoramas unless you make them public.
- We do not intentionally collect precise location for gallery uploads unless you provide or enable it.
- We do not receive your full payment card details when purchases are handled by Google Play or another app store.
4. How We Use Information
- Provide app features such as camera capture, panorama stitching, saving, viewing, and sharing.
- Authenticate users through Google Sign-In and maintain gallery accounts.
- Host, display, rank, moderate, and remove uploaded panoramas.
- Generate thumbnails and optimized image versions.
- Let you export data, delete panoramas, change visibility, or delete your account.
- Respond to support, privacy, copyright, and abuse reports.
- Protect the Service with rate limits, fraud prevention, security logging, and moderation.
- Measure aggregate performance and support advertising where ads are enabled.
5. Uploaded Content and Metadata
When you upload an image to the Photaf gallery, we process the file to generate a stored JPEG and thumbnails. The upload processing strips embedded EXIF metadata from the stored image. Location data is stored separately only if it is explicitly supplied during upload or by a Photaf app feature you enable.
Public panoramas can be viewed by anyone and may show your display name, caption, vote count, creation date, and any location or related details associated with the public upload. Private panoramas are visible only to you and to administrators who need access for operation, security, support, or legal reasons.
6. Third-Party Services
The Service may use third-party services that process information under their own policies, including:
- Google Sign-In and Google Play Services: authentication, app distribution, platform services, and security. See Google Privacy Policy.
- Google AdMob or Google AdSense, where enabled: ad delivery, ad measurement, fraud prevention, and consent tools. See Google advertising privacy information.
- Bengigi analytics: limited website analytics hosted by Bengigi to understand aggregate visits and performance.
- Hosting, email, and infrastructure providers: storage, delivery, email, backups, security, and maintenance.
Third-party SDKs and services may vary by app version, platform, and region. We are responsible for keeping the app's store disclosures and this policy consistent with the data practices we control.
7. Sharing and Disclosure
We may share information in the following limited situations:
- At your direction: when you make a panorama public, share it, submit a report, or contact support.
- With service providers: vendors that help us operate hosting, analytics, advertising, authentication, email, support, security, and storage.
- For legal and safety reasons: to comply with law, valid legal process, DMCA notices, security investigations, or to protect rights, users, and the Service.
- Business transfers: if the Service or studio assets are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale, subject to this policy or a successor policy with notice where required.
We do not sell personal information for money. If an ad-supported version or page uses personalized advertising, advertising partners may process identifiers or usage data to deliver, measure, or personalize ads. Where required, you can use device settings, platform choices, consent prompts, or advertising partner tools to limit personalized ads.
8. Legal Bases for EEA/UK Users
Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we process personal data under the following legal bases:
- Contract: to provide the app, account, gallery, uploads, and requested features.
- Consent: for optional location, optional uploads, policy consent, and certain advertising or analytics choices where required.
- Legitimate interests: to secure, maintain, debug, improve, and protect the Service.
- Legal obligation: to handle lawful requests, copyright notices, tax, accounting, or compliance records.
9. Data Retention
- Panoramas, captions, votes, and account-related gallery data are kept until you delete the content or delete your account, unless we must retain limited records for legal, security, or abuse-prevention reasons.
- Server logs containing IP addresses are normally retained for up to 30 days unless needed longer for security, fraud, debugging, legal, or abuse investigations.
- Content reports, DMCA notices, support emails, and related moderation records may be kept as long as needed to document and resolve the matter.
- Backups may retain deleted information for a limited period until overwritten or purged through normal backup cycles.
10. Your Choices and Rights
Photaf account controls
- View your profile and consent status from the Photaf Account page.
- Export your Photaf gallery account data as JSON from the Account page.
- Delete individual panoramas or change a panorama between public and private.
- Delete your account and associated gallery data from the Account page.
Privacy rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to request access, deletion, correction, restriction, objection, portability, withdrawal of consent, or information about how personal data is used and shared. California residents may also have rights to know, delete, correct, opt out of sale or sharing, limit sensitive personal information, and receive non-discriminatory treatment for exercising privacy rights.
To make a privacy request, email support@bengigi.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.
11. Children's Privacy
Photaf is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to Photaf, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it. Users who sign in through Google must meet Google's account age requirements.
12. Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards, including HTTPS, Google OAuth token verification, upload limits, content moderation tools, and access controls. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
13. International Processing
We and our service providers may process information in countries other than where you live. Those countries may have different privacy laws. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for international transfers.
14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated policy on this page and update the "Last updated" date. If changes materially affect your rights or how we use your personal information, we will provide additional notice where required.
15. Contact Us
For privacy questions, data requests, or complaints, contact:
- Email: support@bengigi.com
- Website: www.bengigi.com
Last updated: April 24, 2026