Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

FediFind (fedifind.com) is an independent web service that provides live search and discovery across decentralized social networks — specifically Mastodon.social, Flipboard.social, and Bluesky. It is operated by the FediBoard project team.

For privacy inquiries, contact us at: support@fedifind.com

2. What we collect and why

We collect the minimum data required to operate the service:

• Account registration: If you register to submit content, we collect your email address. This is used solely to authenticate you — each time you sign in, we send a 6-digit validation code to your email. We do not share your email with anyone.
• Submission activity: When you submit a link, we record the URL, your caption, and hashtags — because we publish them to our Fediverse accounts on your behalf. We also track your daily submission count to enforce the 5-per-day limit.
• Session data: A standard session cookie is used to keep you logged in. It contains no personal information and expires when you close your browser or sign out.
• Server logs: Our web server may log standard access data (IP address, browser type, pages visited) for security and diagnostic purposes. These logs are retained for a maximum of 30 days and are not used for tracking or profiling.

3. What we do NOT collect

We want to be explicit about what we don't do:

• We do not store your search queries.
• We do not index or cache content from Mastodon, Flipboard Social, or Bluesky.
• We do not track your reading habits or clicked results.
• We do not use our own advertising trackers, analytics pixels, or fingerprinting tools. However, if Google AdSense is active on a page, Google may use cookies and tracking technologies to serve personalized ads. See section 5 for details and opt-out options.
• We do not sell, rent, or share your data with any third party for commercial purposes.
• We do not build profiles of our users.

4. How search works

When you perform a search on FediFind, your query is sent in real time to the APIs of the three networks (Mastodon.social, Flipboard.social, and Bluesky). The results are retrieved, merged, and displayed to you. We do not store or log the content of your searches.

The content you see in results is served from and remains the property of the originating networks and their users. We are simply a query interface — a window, not a warehouse.

5. Cookies

We use a single session cookie to manage your login state if you have registered an account. This cookie is strictly necessary for the service to function and is not used for tracking. We do not use analytics cookies, advertising cookies, or any third-party cookies by default.

Google AdSense may be used on some pages to display advertisements. Google may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google's Ad Settings.

6. Content submissions

When you submit a link through FediFind, we publish it on your behalf to our public accounts on Mastodon.social, Flipboard.social, and Bluesky. By submitting content, you confirm that:

• You have the right to share the content.
• The content does not violate our Terms & Conditions.
• You understand the content will be publicly visible on three separate networks.

Submitted content is not stored in our database beyond what is necessary for the daily limit counter. The published posts live on the respective Fediverse networks and are subject to their own moderation policies.

7. Data retention

• Email addresses: Retained as long as your account is active. You may request deletion at any time by emailing support@fedifind.com.
• Session cookies: Expire on logout or browser close.
• Server logs: Automatically deleted after 30 days.
• Search queries: Not retained.

8. Your rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Request deletion of your account and associated data.
• Object to processing of your data.
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@fedifind.com. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Third-party networks

Search results are fetched live from Mastodon.social, Flipboard.social, and Bluesky. Each of these platforms has its own privacy policy and data practices. FediFind is not responsible for how these platforms collect or handle data on their end.

10. Security

We use industry-standard HTTPS encryption for all data in transit. Access to account data is restricted to authenticated sessions. We do not store passwords — authentication is handled via a 6-digit code sent to your email each time you sign in.

11. Children

FediFind is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has submitted data to us, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact

For any privacy-related question or request: support@fedifind.com