Privacy Policy

1. INTRODUCTION

RealShield AI ("we," "us," or "our"), a Delaware Limited Liability Company, is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information in connection with our deepfake and AI detection services available at realshieldai.com and the RealShield AI mobile application.

2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

3. THE "ZERO-RETENTION" PRINCIPLE

RealShield AI is built on a "Zero-Persistence" architecture for media files:

• Static Uploads: When you upload audio, images, or video for analysis, the raw media is processed and stored for up to twenty-four (24) hours to generate your report. After 24 hours, files are automatically purged from our servers.
• Live Monitoring: Real-time audio/video streams are processed in volatile memory (RAM) only. Data is analyzed in real-time and immediately purged after generating a Shield Score. No recording or storage occurs.
• What We Retain: We store only your Shield Score (analysis result), scan metadata (file type/size), and the date of the scan to provide you with a history of your reports. This history is retained until you delete it or close your account.

4. BIOMETRIC DATA NOTICE — NATIONWIDE COMPLIANCE

RealShield AI processes voice and facial characteristics to detect AI-generated or manipulated media. This activity may constitute "Biometric Data" processing under multiple state laws. We comply with all applicable state biometric privacy statutes, including but not limited to:

• Washington My Health My Data Act (MHMDA)
• Oregon Consumer Privacy Act (OCPA)
• Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA)
• Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act (CUBI)
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA)

For all users, the following protections apply:

• Purpose: We process biometric data solely to detect synthetic manipulation (deepfakes) and verify authenticity of submitted media.
• Consent: We do not process biometric data without your clear, affirmative, opt-in consent, obtained at the time of upload or when you activate live monitoring.
• No Sale or Disclosure: We never sell or lease your biometric data. We only share it with our authorized third-party detection service provider for the sole purpose of processing your requested scan.
• Processing Duration: Biometric data is processed ephemerally and purged within 24 hours for static files, or immediately for live streams.
• Illinois Residents (BIPA): We will not collect biometric identifiers or biometric information from Illinois residents without first providing the required written disclosure and obtaining a written release as required under 740 ILCS 14.

5. THIRD-PARTY PROCESSORS

We utilize an industry-leading third-party AI detection API for forensic deepfake and AI-generated content detection analysis. Our detection service provider is bound by enterprise-grade confidentiality agreements and is prohibited from using your media for any purpose other than providing the analysis results to RealShield AI. Our detection service provider does not use submitted media files to train their detection models.

Payment processing is handled by Stripe, Inc., which is PCI-DSS compliant. Please review Stripe's Privacy Policy at stripe.com/privacy.

6. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use collected information to:

• Provide deepfake detection and analysis services
• Maintain your account and scan history
• Process payments and manage subscriptions
• Improve our service quality (using anonymized, aggregated metadata only — we do not use raw media files for improvement purposes)
• Communicate service updates and security alerts
• Comply with legal obligations

7. DATA SECURITY

We implement industry-standard security measures:

• End-to-end encryption for data transmission (TLS/SSL)
• Encrypted storage for user account data
• Secure authentication via our application platform
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Restricted access to personal data (employee authorization required)

8. DATA BREACH NOTIFICATION

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, RealShield AI will:

• Notify affected users within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach (or as required by applicable law, whichever is sooner)
• Notify relevant supervisory authorities as required under applicable state and federal law
• Provide clear information about the nature of the breach, data affected, likely consequences, and steps we are taking to address it
• Maintain a breach log and cooperate with any regulatory investigation

Notifications will be sent to the email address associated with your account. For breaches affecting Illinois residents, we will comply with the Illinois Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) notification requirements.

9. YOUR RIGHTS

You have the following rights regarding your data:

• Right to Access: You may request a machine-readable export of your Shield Score history and account information.
• Right to Delete: You may delete your scan history at any time within the App settings, or request full account deletion by contacting support.
• Right to Correct: You may update your account information at any time.
• Right to Opt-Out: We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals and do not track users across third-party websites or sell personal data.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw biometric processing consent at any time by discontinuing use of analysis features.

10. COOKIES & TRACKING

We use essential cookies for:

• User authentication and session management
• Security and fraud prevention

We do not use third-party advertising cookies or cross-site tracking.

11. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

RealShield AI is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn we have collected data from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at support@realshield.ai.

12. DATA RETENTION

• Static media files: Up to 24 hours, then permanently deleted
• Live stream data: Immediate purge (zero storage)
• Analysis history (Shield Scores and metadata only): Retained until user deletion or account closure
• Account information: Retained for the duration of your account, plus 30 days after closure for legal/billing purposes
• Anonymized, aggregated metadata (no raw media, no biometric data): May be retained by RealShield AI for internal service improvement purposes only. This data cannot be linked back to any individual user. It is not shared with our detection service provider or any third party for training purposes.

13. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Email notification to your registered address
• Prominent notice on the app homepage
• Updating the "Effective Date" at the top of this policy

Continued use of RealShield AI after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

RealShield AI is based in the United States. If you are accessing our service from outside the United States, please be aware that:

• Your information will be transferred to, processed, and stored in the United States
• The United States may have different data protection laws than your country of residence
• Where required by applicable law (including GDPR), we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission as the legal mechanism for international data transfers — not solely on user consent
• We will take reasonable steps to ensure your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data, and to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Contact us at support@realshield.ai to exercise these rights.

15. CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS (CCPA/CPRA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act:

• Right to know what personal information is collected
• Right to deletion of personal information
• Right to opt-out of sale (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising CCPA rights
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information (CPRA)
• Right to limit use of sensitive personal information, including biometric data (CPRA)

To submit a CCPA/CPRA request, contact us at support@realshield.ai. We will respond within 45 days as required by law.

16. OTHER STATE PRIVACY LAWS

If you are a resident of Virginia, Connecticut, Utah, or any other state with comprehensive privacy legislation, you may have additional rights under those laws. Contact us at support@realshield.ai to exercise any applicable state-specific privacy rights.

17. COLORADO AI ACT DISCLOSURE

Effective June 1, 2026: RealShield AI operates an artificial intelligence system that analyzes media to detect AI-generated or manipulated content. In compliance with Colorado Senate Bill 24-205:

• Our AI system produces a probabilistic "Shield Score" — it is not a definitive legal or forensic determination
• We disclose that AI is used in our detection process
• Users retain the right to opt out of automated AI-based analysis by contacting support@realshield.ai
• We conduct ongoing risk assessments to minimize potential bias or harm in our detection outputs