Privacy Policy

Overview

This page explains what we collect when you use the FakeOut app or fakeout.io, what we send to other services, and what we don't keep.

By using FakeOut, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Authentication

Text fact-checking and translation do not require an account. Image and video AI detection require signing in:

• Android: Google Sign-In
• iOS: Sign in with Apple

Sign-in syncs your credits and purchases across reinstalls and devices.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect your email address and a display name. You may sign in using Sign in with Apple, in which case account information (such as your name and email) is provided by Apple and handled in accordance with Apple's Privacy Policy. Apple may share a private relay email address; we use it solely for authentication and account management.

Images and Videos

When you submit media for analysis:

• Images and videos are compressed and hashed locally on your device before transmission
• Your media is securely transmitted (via HTTPS) to our backend servers, which process it using third-party detection services including Sightengine and provenance checks (e.g. C2PA). Fact-check summaries may use Gemini (via OpenRouter).
• Analysis is performed on pixel-level patterns, metadata attributes, and AI model signatures — no facial recognition, face mapping, or biometric identification is performed at any stage
• We do NOT permanently store your images or videos — media is processed transiently in memory and automatically deleted from our servers after analysis is complete
• Third-party services receive only the data necessary for analysis and do not receive personally identifiable information

Face Data

Images submitted to FakeOut may contain faces. We want to be clear about how this is handled:

• FakeOut does not collect, extract, store, or process face data or biometric information in any form
• No facial recognition, face detection, or face mapping technology is used
• Images are analysed solely to determine AI-generated content — faces in images are not identified, catalogued, or compared against any database
• All image processing is transient; no face data is retained after analysis

Text Claims

When you submit text for fact-checking:

• We send your query to fact-checking services (Google Fact Check Explorer and an AI summary service)
• Recent fact-check history is kept on your device in session—not as permanent server scan history
• We may log anonymized queries for service improvement

Account Data (Firestore)

When you sign in, we store account-related data needed to operate the service:

• Account identifier and sign-in provider
• Credit balances (free, pack, and subscription)
• Purchase and subscription status

We do not maintain a full archive of every scan you run on our servers.

Device Information

We may collect anonymized device information such as device type, operating system version, and app version for analytics and troubleshooting.

How We Use Your Information

• To provide AI image and video detection services
• To run fact-checks against published sources
• To manage credits, purchases, and subscriptions
• To improve our detection algorithms and accuracy
• To provide customer support

Third-Party Services

FakeOut uses the following third-party services:

• Sightengine — Cloud analysis for AI-generated image and video detection
• Google Fact Check Explorer — Verified fact-check sources for claims
• Gemini (via OpenRouter) — Short fact-check summaries (not used as the main image/video detector)
• Google Translate — Translation of claims and text
• Google Firebase / Firestore — Authentication, credits, and account data
• Vercel Analytics — Anonymous website analytics
• Google Play / App Store — App distribution and payments
• Sign in with Apple — Authentication on iOS

Each service has its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review them.

How Your Data is Shared with Third Parties

When you scan an image or video, the following data is shared with our third-party AI detection services:

• Image/video pixel data — sent to Sightengine and related detection services for authenticity analysis
• Text claims — sent to Google Fact Check Explorer and Gemini (via OpenRouter) for fact verification summaries

The following data is never shared with third-party AI services:

• Your name, email address, or account information
• Your device identifiers or IP address
• Any biometric or face data

You are informed of this data sharing via an in-app disclosure screen shown before your first scan. By agreeing to the disclosure and using the scanning features, you consent to this data processing.

Firebase (Google)

FakeOut uses several Firebase services provided by Google:

• Firebase Authentication - Manages user sign-in and account identity
• Cloud Firestore - Stores user account data and scan history
• Firebase Analytics - Collects anonymized usage data to help us improve the app
• Firebase Cloud Functions - Powers our serverless backend processing

Data processed through Firebase is subject to Google's / Firebase's Privacy Policy. Firebase Analytics does not collect personally identifiable information and respects device-level ad tracking preferences.

Data Security

• All data transmission is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS
• Media is processed in memory and not written to permanent storage
• We use secure cloud infrastructure with regular security reviews
• Access to stored account data is strictly limited

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Request deletion of your data
• Opt out of marketing communications
• Data portability

To exercise these rights, contact us at fakeout.io@proton.me.

Children's Privacy

FakeOut is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Contact us if you believe we have collected such information.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date.

Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy? Email fakeout.io@proton.me.