Privacy Policy

1. Information we collect

• Account and authentication information, including your email address and sign-in credentials handled by the authentication service.
• Profile information you choose to provide, such as a username, display name, and profile picture.
• PCB board descriptions and dimensions, rendered PCB preview images, inspection results, and detected defects.
• Chat messages and conversation histories.
• Community circuit block titles, descriptions, tags, Gerber ZIP archives, and preview images.
• Automatically collected technical data: the hosting and authentication services may record IP addresses, browser and device details, and request logs. When the app hits an error, an error report with the error details and the page address may be sent to the hosting platform (Lovable) for debugging. TraceScope does not run its own analytics.
• Payment information: TraceScope does not currently charge or collect payment or billing details.
• Technical information needed to authenticate you, keep the application working, and remember your interface preferences.

2. How we use information

We use this information to provide inspections, render and save board previews, maintain chats, enhance prompts when requested, look up components, operate the community library, moderate community submissions, secure accounts, and remember your settings. We do not sell your personal information through the application.

3. Hosting, PCB processing, and storage

TraceScope uses Lovable Cloud for authentication, its backend database, and file storage. Application data is kept in the profiles, pcb_analyses, chat_threads, chat_messages, and circuit_blocks tables, with separate storage for avatars and community circuit block files.

For a private inspection, your Gerber ZIP is opened in your browser and layer data is processed in the browser and on the backend to render the board. TraceScope does not save the raw Gerber files from a private inspection to its database or file storage. It does store the rendered PCB preview image, board description and dimensions, inspection results, and detected defects so you can revisit the analysis.

Community circuit block ZIP files and preview images are stored in backend storage. Avatar images are stored separately. Temporary processing by the hosting service may still generate infrastructure logs outside the application’s direct control.

4. AI providers and processing

TraceScope routes AI requests through the Lovable AI Gateway to external providers. The feature you use determines what information is submitted:

• OpenAI GPT-5.5 — engineering chat: receives conversation history and, for PCB-aware chat, may receive the selected board’s rendered image, description, inspection summary, and detected issues. Chat context may also include summaries of your ten most recent PCB analyses.
• OpenAI GPT-6-Astra — prompt enhancement: receives the draft text you submit for enhancement.
• Google Gemini 2.5 Flash — inspection, matching, and moderation: receives rendered PCB PNG images and board descriptions for defect analysis, rather than the raw private-inspection Gerber files. Circuit block matching uses inspection information and community block metadata. Community moderation uses relevant block titles, descriptions, and tags.
• Google Gemini 3.1 Flash Image — visual generation: receives prompts and related context needed to generate requested images or diagrams.

These providers process information to generate responses and perform the requested operation. Their handling is subject to their applicable terms and privacy policies. TraceScope cannot verify or promise particular upstream retention periods, log deletion schedules, or whether submitted information is used for AI training. Do not submit confidential, proprietary, or sensitive designs unless you are comfortable with this third-party processing.

5. External component lookup

TraceScope may send component part numbers to the LCSC public search API at wmsc.lcsc.com for component searches and datasheet or specification lookups. Avoid submitting confidential component information if you do not want it shared with an external supplier.

6. Community content and downloads

Unflagged community circuit blocks and their creator usernames are visible to signed-in users. Other users can download community files, and signed download links may remain valid for seven days. Do not upload confidential, proprietary, export- controlled, or otherwise restricted designs. Automated moderation may flag content, and flagged content may be hidden or removed.

7. Cookies and browser storage

• A functional cookie remembers whether the sidebar is open or collapsed.
• Browser local storage holds authentication session information, theme choices, custom themes, and other interface preferences.
• Session storage holds temporary unfinished chat and inspection drafts. These drafts are cleared when the browser tab closes.

The application does not include Google Analytics, advertising pixels, third-party advertising networks, or marketing cookies. This does not mean that no technical server, security, or infrastructure logs exist.

8. Retention

Application information is generally retained while your account remains active or until you delete the applicable content or account. Temporary browser drafts are cleared when the tab closes. Exact retention periods for external AI providers, infrastructure backups, gateway logs, and other upstream systems cannot be verified by TraceScope and are not promised here.

9. Account deletion

You can permanently delete your account from Settings → Account. The application deletes your PCB inspection records, chat messages and threads, community circuit block records and files, avatar files, authentication account, and profile. Cleanup is scoped to your account and can be retried if a required step fails.

This describes deletion from TraceScope’s active application systems. Information may remain for a period in infrastructure backups, technical logs, previously issued download links, copies downloaded by other users, or third-party systems. TraceScope cannot guarantee deletion from those external systems or from copies already saved by others.

10. Security

TraceScope uses authenticated access, database access controls, Row Level Security, owner-scoped records, and owner-restricted file writes. Private inspection records and chats are restricted to their owner. Avatar reads and writes are restricted to the avatar owner, while community files are made available to signed-in users through time-limited download links. No online system is perfectly secure, so these controls are not an absolute security guarantee.

11. Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, export, object to processing of, or delete personal information. You can update your username and profile picture in Settings, manage community blocks you created, and delete your account in Settings → Account. You can also delete individual community blocks you posted. For other requests, contact the project owner using the privacy contact below. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request.

12. International processing

TraceScope and its service providers may process information in countries other than where you live. Privacy protections and government-access rules may differ between locations. By using the service, you understand that this international processing may occur, subject to applicable law and provider safeguards.

13. Children’s privacy

TraceScope is not directed to children under 13. You must be old enough to enter into a binding agreement where you live, or have permission from a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has provided personal information inappropriately, contact the project owner so the information can be reviewed.

14. Third-party services and policy changes

TraceScope relies on Lovable Cloud, the Lovable AI Gateway, OpenAI, Google, and LCSC. Their own terms and policies may also apply. We may update this policy as features or legal requirements change. The last-updated date will be revised, and material changes will be presented through the application when appropriate.

15. Privacy contact

Privacy contact: [Privacy contact to be provided by the TraceScope project owner]. No official privacy email address has been established yet.