Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 1, 2026

Welcome to Behind the Lens. We are committed to protecting your personal information and being transparent about how we handle it.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly:

  • Account details: name, username, email, phone, profile photo, bio, website
  • Security data: SHA-256 hashed password (never stored as plain text), recovery hint
  • Payment requests: name, email, UPI transaction ID
  • Content: blog posts, comments, and replies you create
  • Newsletter subscriptions: email address only

We also collect automatically: browser type, device info, pages visited, timestamps, and session data.

2. How Your Data Is Stored

This website uses GitHub as a database. All user data is stored as JSON files in a private GitHub repository. Data is committed via the GitHub API using a secure token stored only in Netlify environment variables — never exposed to the browser.

Your session (login state) is stored in your browser’s localStorage. Passwords are always stored as SHA-256 hashes and are never reversible.

3. How We Use Your Information

  • To create and manage your account
  • To verify UPI payments and grant premium access
  • To deliver newsletter emails (only if subscribed)
  • To respond to contact form submissions
  • To send in-app notifications
  • To display public profiles and posts

4. Cookies & Advertising

We use browser localStorage for session management. We serve third-party advertisements via Google AdSense, which uses cookies to personalise ads. You can opt out at Google Ads Settings.

5. Third-Party Services

  • GitHub — Data stored as JSON via the Contents API
  • Netlify — Hosting and serverless functions
  • Google Analytics — Traffic analysis (if configured)
  • Google AdSense — Advertisement delivery
  • Google Maps — Location embeds in post content
  • YouTube — Video embeds in post content

6. Your Rights

  • Access: View all stored data via Settings → Export My Data
  • Correction: Update details via Settings → Profile Info
  • Deletion: Delete account via Settings → Delete Account
  • Opt-out: Unsubscribe from newsletter any time

7. Data Security

Passwords are hashed using SHA-256 with a site-specific salt before storage. The GitHub write token is stored only as a Netlify environment variable and is never sent to the browser.

8. Children’s Privacy

Our service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13.

9. Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy. Continued use of the site constitutes acceptance of changes.

10. Contact

Questions? hello@behindthelens.photo or our Contact page.