Privacy Policy

Welcome to DropWave ("we," "our," or "us"). At DropWave (accessible via dropwave.app and associated service URLs), we consider the privacy and security of our visitors and users to be our highest priority. This Privacy Policy outlines the types of information we collect, how it is used, and the measures we take to safeguard your privacy.

1. Information We Do Not Collect

Because DropWave is architected as a peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol:

• We do not inspect, copy, store, or log any transmitted files. Files are streamed directly in encrypted binary chunks between the sender and recipient devices.
• We do not require user accounts, email registration, passwords, or telephone numbers to use the file-sharing service.
• We do not maintain user identity profiles. Device names (such as "Swift Eagle" or "Pixel 8") and avatar colors are generated randomly and ephemerally in browser memory.

2. Information We Collect Automatically

When you access DropWave, minimal technical information is processed temporarily to make peer discovery possible:

• Network Room & IP Subnet Hash: To allow devices on the same local Wi-Fi or router network to discover one another without manual pairing, our signaling server briefly checks your IP address to group devices in the same subnet room. This IP data is hashed and stored strictly in volatile server RAM.
• Signaling Metadata: To establish a WebRTC connection between two browsers, small control packets (ICE candidates, session descriptions, and transfer consents) are routed through our signaling server. These packets contain only connection negotiation details—never file data.
• Log Files & Anonymous Diagnostics: Standard web server log files may record anonymized browser user-agent headers, connection timestamps, and general network protocol metrics. This data is used solely to maintain server health, prevent denial-of-service abuse, and optimize reliability.

3. Cookies and Web Beacons

DropWave uses standard local storage and cookies to remember user preferences (such as Dark/Light mode theme and optional custom nickname). You can choose to disable cookies through your individual browser options.

4. Google AdSense & Third-Party Advertising Disclosures

We may display advertisements provided by third-party advertising partners, including Google AdSense, to help support and keep our service free:

• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this website or other websites on the Internet.
• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to our users based on their visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.
• Users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. Alternatively, users can opt out of third-party vendor cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.
• Third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology in their advertisements and links that appear on DropWave, which are sent directly to your browser. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies (such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons) may also be used by our third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and/or to personalize the advertising content you see.
• DropWave has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

5. WebRTC & Security

WebRTC is an open-source standard created by the W3C and IETF. All WebRTC DataChannels are automatically encrypted end-to-end using DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security) and SRTP (Secure Real-time Transport Protocol). This guarantees that your files cannot be intercepted or modified by intermediaries, Wi-Fi operators, or ISPs while traveling between peers.

6. Third-Party Privacy Policies

DropWave's Privacy Policy does not apply to other advertisers or websites. Thus, we advise you to consult the respective Privacy Policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information. It may include their practices and instructions about how to opt-out of certain options.

7. GDPR Privacy Rights (Data Protection Rights)

We would like to make sure you are fully aware of all of your data protection rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• The right to access: You have the right to request copies of your personal data.
• The right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate.
• The right to erasure: Because DropWave does not store personal profiles or files, no personal file data persists on our systems.
• The right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data under certain conditions.

8. CCPA Privacy Rights (Do Not Sell My Personal Information)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California consumers have the right to:

• Request that a business that collects a consumer's personal data disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal data that a business has collected about consumers.
• Request that a business delete any personal data about the consumer that a business has collected.
• Request that a business that sells a consumer's personal data, not sell the consumer's personal data. DropWave does not sell any personal data.

9. Children's Information

Protecting children while using the internet is especially important to us. DropWave does not knowingly collect any Personal Identifiable Information from children under the age of 13. If you believe that your child provided this kind of information on our website, we strongly encourage you to contact us immediately and we will do our best efforts to promptly remove such information.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We advise you to review this page periodically for any changes. Any updates will be effective immediately upon publication on this page.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, inquiries, or suggestions regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

• Email: support.dropwave@gmail.com
• Website: dropwave.app/contact