Privacy Policy

Last updated: 12 July 2026

Photon is a Switzerland-based Windows desktop application for PC performance diagnostics and optimization guidance. This Privacy Policy explains what information Photon processes, how it is used, where it may be stored, and what choices you have.

Photon is designed to be privacy-focused. We collect only the information reasonably needed to provide license access, manage subscriptions, prevent abuse, troubleshoot problems, and operate the service.

PC diagnostics and live performance tests run locally. Diagnostic results and process lists are not uploaded to Photon’s license backend by the current app.

1. Who Operates Photon

Photon is the controller responsible for the account, license, activation, and service data described in this Policy.

Photon is based in Switzerland, and its core license servers are hosted in Switzerland.

Privacy questions, data requests, license issues, Discord-unlinking requests, ban reviews, and device resets can be submitted through the Photon Discord server.

2. Information We Collect

Photon may collect and store limited account and license information, including:

• A generated user ID
• Your account role and beta-access status
• License status, duration, redemption time, and expiry
• Your Discord user ID if you redeem or manage a license through Discord
• Device activation status and reset count
• Ban, revocation, or access-restriction information, including a reason where applicable
• Timestamps such as account creation, account updates, activation, redemption, last login, and device activity
• Short-lived records of revoked access tokens
• Admin action logs containing the action, actor, target, time, and limited information about the action

The license backend receives your access key when it is verified. It stores a keyed hash and masked preview instead of storing the reusable raw key.

Photon’s license system does not require your real name, billing address, phone number, or payment card details.

A storefront or payment provider may separately collect contact and payment information when you make a purchase.

3. License and Device Verification

Photon uses license verification to confirm that your access key is valid, active, supported, and allowed to use the requested version.

Photon may also bind a license to a derived device identifier to prevent unauthorized sharing.

The Windows app creates the device value using:

• The machine name
• The Windows domain name
• The Windows MachineGuid
• The CPU name

This combined value is hashed before it is sent to the license API. The backend applies an additional keyed hash and stores that result for device binding.

The original machine name, domain name, MachineGuid, and CPU name are not stored in Photon’s license database.

If you change your PC hardware or reinstall Windows, you may need to request a device reset.

4. Local Diagnostics

Photon performs PC performance scans and live tests locally on your device.

Depending on your hardware and the information available through Windows and installed drivers, Photon may read:

• CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage usage
• Temperature and clock information
• Running background processes
• Startup applications
• Power and performance settings
• Display resolution and refresh rate
• Driver and GPU setting information
• Network adapter and DNS configuration
• Network and DNS latency
• Windows gaming-related settings

Photon uses this information to show scan results, detect possible performance issues, run live tests, and recommend fixes.

Diagnostic results and running process lists are not sent to Photon’s license API by the current app.

Photon does not inspect or upload the contents of your personal documents, emails, photos, videos, browser history, or downloads.

5. Information Stored on Your PC

Photon may store limited information locally on your Windows device.

For automatic sign-in, Photon stores the submitted license key using the Windows Data Protection API. The stored key is encrypted for the current Windows user.

The locally stored key is deleted when you log out or when Photon determines that the saved license is no longer valid.

Photon may also store up to 30 scan or live-test history summaries in WebView local storage. These summaries may include:

• The time of the scan or test
• The number of detected issues
• Severity counts
• The result type
• The main detected issue

These summaries do not contain complete performance telemetry or full process lists. They remain on your device until the app or WebView site data is cleared.

6. Network Checks

Some diagnostics started by you make direct network requests to test connectivity, DNS, latency, or time synchronization.

Current checks may contact services operated by:

• Cloudflare, including 1.1.1.1
• Google Public DNS, including 8.8.8.8
• Microsoft time services

These providers may receive normal connection information such as your public IP address, request time, and basic network information. They process this information under their own privacy policies.

Photon also contacts its license API to activate and verify your access.

7. Website and Service Logs

Photon may process limited operational information to run, secure, and troubleshoot its website, API, license system, and Discord bot.

Operational console output may include:

• Request IP address
• Request time
• Request method and path
• Response status
• Limited error or service information

Photon does not create separate permanent log files or temporary diagnostic log files for this information.

Console output may be retained by the hosting environment only for as long as reasonably needed to troubleshoot problems, protect the service, or maintain service operation.

Operational request information is not added to Photon’s account or license database and is not used for advertising, marketing analytics, or user profiling.

The Photon marketing website does not currently use first-party analytics, advertising trackers, or marketing cookies.

8. Purchases and Third-Party Services

Purchases are completed through the linked SellAuth storefront and its supported payment providers.

These providers may process:

• Contact information
• Payment information
• Transaction details
• Fraud-prevention information
• Order and delivery information

Photon may receive order identifiers and purchase records needed for license delivery, accounting, fraud review, refunds, disputes, and customer support.

Photon’s license database does not store payment card details.

Photon also uses Cloudflare Tunnel to connect public traffic to its Switzerland-hosted servers. Cloudflare may process connection information, including IP addresses, at its network edge under its own privacy and retention practices.

9. Discord Integration

Photon may use Discord for license redemption, download access, support, account management, and authorized admin actions.

When you use Photon’s Discord features, Photon may process:

• Your Discord user ID
• Your command inputs
• Your Discord server or role identifiers where needed
• Your license and account status
• Limited error information for failed commands

This information is used only to perform the requested command, verify access, assign roles, provide support, prevent abuse, or troubleshoot problems.

Discord processes your activity separately under its own privacy policy.

10. How We Use Information

Photon uses the information described in this Policy to:

• Create and manage license accounts
• Validate and activate license access
• Manage license duration and expiry
• Bind licenses to authorized devices
• Prevent unauthorized key sharing and abuse
• Provide download access
• Check whether an app version is supported
• Manage stable and beta access
• Enforce bans, revocations, and access restrictions
• Provide customer support
• Investigate errors and service failures
• Protect Photon’s systems and users
• Maintain admin accountability
• Meet accounting, contractual, and legal requirements
• Show local performance recommendations inside the app

Photon does not sell personal data.

11. Legal Reasons for Processing

Where applicable law requires a legal basis, Photon processes information based on:

• Contract: To provide purchased access, license verification, downloads, activation, subscription duration, and support
• Legitimate interests: To protect the service, prevent abuse, investigate problems, enforce restrictions, and maintain admin accountability
• Legal obligations: To keep or disclose records where required for accounting, disputes, consumer requests, or other legal requirements
• Consent: Where a feature or applicable law specifically requires your consent

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent for future processing. This does not affect processing that already took place before consent was withdrawn.

12. Automated Access Decisions

Photon’s license service automatically allows or refuses access based on:

• License-key validity
• License expiry
• Device binding
• Ban or revocation status
• Beta eligibility
• Maintenance status
• The installed app version

If you believe access was refused incorrectly, you may request a manual review through Photon support.

13. Data Sharing

Photon does not sell user data.

Limited information may be shared only when reasonably necessary to:

• Operate and host the license system
• Process purchases and deliver licenses
• Provide Discord-based access or support
• Operate website and network infrastructure
• Prevent fraud, abuse, or unauthorized access
• Protect Photon’s systems and users
• Meet binding legal obligations

Relevant third parties may include SellAuth, payment providers, Discord, Cloudflare, hosting providers, and other infrastructure providers used to operate Photon.

Photon’s core and license servers are hosted in Switzerland. Some third-party providers may process information in the United States or other countries where they operate, subject to their own terms, safeguards, and privacy policies.

14. Data Retention

Photon keeps information only for as long as reasonably needed for:

• License access and activation
• Subscription management
• Security and abuse prevention
• Support and troubleshooting
• Admin accountability
• Payment disputes
• Accounting and legal requirements

Short-lived revoked-token records expire automatically with the related token.

Operational console information is retained by the hosting environment only where and for as long as needed to troubleshoot, secure, or operate the service.

Account, license, activation, ban, and admin-audit records may remain after a license expires where they are needed for license enforcement, security, support, disputes, accounting, or abuse prevention.

The current backend does not use a fixed automatic deletion period for these records. Deletion requests are reviewed against contractual, security, operational, accounting, and legal retention requirements.

15. Your Choices and Rights

Depending on the law that applies to you, you may have the right to request:

• Information about data linked to your account or license
• Access to that information
• Correction of incorrect information
• Deletion of information where continued storage is not required
• Restriction of certain processing
• An export of applicable information
• Objection to certain processing
• Withdrawal of consent for future processing
• Unlinking of your Discord user ID
• Review of an automated access refusal
• Review of a ban or license restriction
• A device activation reset

Some information may need to be retained for security, fraud prevention, license enforcement, accounting, disputes, or other legal and operational requirements.

Photon may request reasonable information to confirm that a request relates to your account or license.

Requests can be submitted through Photon support.

16. Security

Photon uses reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect its account and license systems.

These measures may include:

• Keyed hashing of license and device values
• Encrypted local license storage
• Authenticated API access
• Account and role checks
• Limited admin-action auditing
• Operational monitoring for troubleshooting and security

Request IP addresses may appear in operational console output but are not added to Photon’s account, license, activation, or admin-audit records.

No system is perfectly secure. Photon cannot guarantee absolute security, but it aims to collect as little information as reasonably possible and protect the information required to operate the service.

17. Children

Photon is not intended for children below the minimum age required to independently use the service or consent to data processing under applicable law.

If you believe that information belonging to a child has been processed improperly, contact Photon so the matter can be reviewed.

18. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when Photon’s features, providers, infrastructure, or legal requirements change.

When changes are made, the “Last updated” date above will be changed. Material changes may also be announced through the website, app, or Discord server where appropriate.

19. Contact

For privacy questions, license support, account requests, or data requests, contact Photon through the Photon Discord server.