Last updated: July 2026
What We Collect
When you use ClipTrace, we collect only what is necessary to provide the service: your email address and name if you create an account, the video files or URLs you submit for analysis, and, if you use certain optional features described below, additional information you choose to provide, such as an alert email for content protection or an organisation name for a Partner account. We do not sell, share, or monetise your personal data.
How We Use Your Data
- To process your video and deliver forensic results
- To maintain your account, search history, and subscription status
- To enforce usage limits on Free, Pro, Max, Partner, and API accounts
- To operate optional features you choose to use: Verified Notes, Protected Content registration, and BYOK key storage
- To improve our detection models (anonymised, never linked to you)
Video, Audio & Image Storage
Raw Files
Uploaded video files, extracted audio, and submitted URLs are processed temporarily and deleted after processing. We do not store, host, or redistribute your raw video or audio content.
Forensic Intelligence Database
To power source-matching, we permanently retain each video's perceptual fingerprint, and, where applicable, a separate audio fingerprint and any standalone image fingerprints: mathematical hashes of content that cannot be reversed into a viewable or listenable file, alongside the best source URL identified during analysis. This data contains no personally identifiable information about the person who submitted it.
Cross-Platform Entity Linking
Where the same video is identified across multiple platforms (for example, the same clip on both YouTube and TikTok), we link those fingerprints together into a single record, along with a log of when and where each appearance was detected. This "spread history" contains only fingerprints, platform names, and dates. It never contains your identity as a submitter.
When a future user uploads the same or matching content, they are shown the source information found at original indexing, not your identity, filename, or anything about you as the submitter.
What is never stored: your raw video or audio file, your identity linked to a specific submission, or any personal context about why you searched.
What ClipTrace is: a forensic intelligence platform, not a video or audio hosting platform. Our database stores fingerprints and source intelligence. It never stores the underlying media itself.
Verified Notes
If you submit a Verified Note (a proposed correction to a search result), the text of your note, your account, and any ratings you give to other notes are stored and linked to your account for reputation-tracking purposes. Notes only become publicly visible once they meet the platform's community verification threshold. Note text is visible to other users once published; your identity as the author is not displayed publicly.
Protected Content Registry
If you register content for proactive protection, we store the content's fingerprint, the alert email you provide, and a label you choose. We do not store the underlying video for this feature, only its fingerprint. If a future trace matches your registered fingerprint, we send an automated email alert to the address you provided, containing information about where the match was found. You may deactivate a registered protection at any time, which stops future alerts.
Partner Accounts & Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)
Organisations using a Partner account provide an organisation name, contact email, and organisation type. If an organisation enables BYOK, any third-party API keys they provide are encrypted at rest using industry-standard AES-256 encryption before storage, and are used solely to process that organisation's own requests. ClipTrace staff cannot view or retrieve raw BYOK keys once submitted.
C2PA Content Credentials
Where a submitted video already contains embedded C2PA content credentials (a cryptographic record of its origin, sometimes present in files from newer smartphones or professional cameras), ClipTrace reads and displays this information as part of your results. ClipTrace does not create, issue, or sign C2PA credentials of its own.
Search History
If you are signed in, we store a record of your previous traces (file name, date, source found) so you can review them. You can delete your history at any time from your account settings.
Third-Party Services
Depending on which analysis features are used, we may send extracted, anonymised video frames, audio, or transcribed text to the following third-party processors: Google (Lens reverse image search), Yandex (reverse image search), OpenAI (transcription and query generation), Microsoft Azure (face detection), and AudD (audio fingerprinting). Each operates under their own privacy policies. We share only the minimum data necessary for each service to function. No account information is transmitted alongside it. Partner organisations using BYOK send their requests directly using their own API credentials.
Cookies
We use session cookies only for authentication. We do not use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or any analytics that identify you personally.
Your Rights
You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data at any time, including deactivating any registered content protections or Verified Notes contributor history. To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@tracemyclip.com.
Security
All data is transmitted over HTTPS. Passwords are hashed using bcrypt and never stored in plain text. BYOK API keys are encrypted at rest with AES-256. Our infrastructure runs on Railway and Supabase, both of which maintain SOC 2 compliance.
Contact
For privacy enquiries: privacy@tracemyclip.com