PRIVACY
Effective date:
NETHERWALL is built around privacy by design, backed by end-to-end encryption. We keep the account and operational information needed to provide the service, and explain below what that includes.
===== 1. YOUR FILES AND ENCRYPTION =====
Encryption happens on your device, covering file contents, filenames, directory names and image thumbnails. Uploaded file data stays encrypted in server storage. When you open or download a file, the application decrypts it on your device.
The application creates and manages encryption keys automatically. It does not send us your password, restore code or unencrypted encryption keys. The server stores authentication records and encrypted key material used by the application to unlock your account on your device.
By design, NETHERWALL cannot decrypt your files or their encrypted metadata from the records held on its servers. Your password or restore code unlocks the required keys locally, and an unlocked session may retain those keys on your device. There is no service-side recovery key or override that can bypass this encryption.
Protect your password and keep any restore code you generate somewhere safe. If you lose both, an active session with an exportable master key can still let you set a new password or generate a new restore code. A session without an exportable master key may still let you download files while it remains usable, but cannot replace lost credentials.
If neither credential nor any device capable of unlocking the files remains available, access to your stored files is lost permanently. NETHERWALL has no technical means to restore that access.
===== 2. NO THIRD-PARTY SERVICES, TRACKING OR DATA SALES =====
NETHERWALL does not use any third-party services. There are no third-party analytics, tracking scripts, advertising tools, external error-reporting services or third-party integrations.
NETHERWALL neither sells nor rents account or usage information. Activity on the service is not used to assemble advertising profiles.
===== 3. HOSTING IN GERMANY =====
NETHERWALL runs on servers in Germany. File data reaches those servers already encrypted and is stored in that form.
===== 4. ACCOUNT INFORMATION =====
We store your email address, internal account identifiers, account creation time, authentication records, encrypted key material and session records. Password hints are encrypted in our database using a server-held key. The service can decrypt them for viewing in Account and for email delivery. Password hint requests from the login screen send an email to the account's email address; the hint is not displayed to the requester. When signed in, you can view, change or remove your hint in Account. We use Resend to deliver plain-text account emails, including password hints, verification codes and recovery-login notices.
Your email address and other operational account information are readable by the service. End-to-end encryption protects your files and their encrypted metadata.
===== 5. INFORMATION VISIBLE TO THE SERVICE =====
Running the storage service requires some information about the encrypted data it holds. This includes file and directory identifiers (internal IDs, not actual names), directory relationships, file sizes, revision records, timestamps, and the presence and size of encrypted thumbnails.
The service can also observe when requests are made and which account resources they concern. Filenames, directory names and file contents remain encrypted.
===== 6. OPERATIONAL LOGS =====
We record technical information to operate the service, investigate faults and protect against misuse. These records can include IP addresses, browser information, request times, requested addresses, account identifiers, response statuses and error details.
API logs can also contain limited portions of request and response data. File-transfer bodies are excluded from access-log capture. Session-cookie values and sensitive authentication fields are redacted.
Operational logs are kept within NETHERWALL and are not sent to third-party analytics or monitoring services.
===== 7. COOKIES AND BROWSER STORAGE =====
NETHERWALL uses a first-party login cookie to authenticate your session.
When you use NETHERWALL in a browser, the application stores account identifiers, encryption keys and preferences locally. The application uses this local storage to reopen your encrypted account without asking for your password on every visit.
Logging out clears the login cookie and removes the locally stored account keys and identifiers from that browser. You can also remove locally stored information through your browser's site-data settings.
===== 8. CONTACT MESSAGES =====
When you use CONTACT, we store your email address, subject, message, ticket identifier, submission time, IP address and browser information.
Contact submissions are readable by us so that we can handle your request. Please do not include passwords or restore codes in a message.
===== 9. WHY WE PROCESS INFORMATION =====
We use account information and encrypted storage records to provide the service you request. We use operational records to maintain security, prevent misuse and diagnose problems. We use contact information and correspondence to respond to requests.
===== 10. DISCLOSURE REQUIRED BY LAW =====
We may disclose information when required by applicable law or a binding legal order. Any disclosure is limited to information we actually hold.
===== 11. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS =====
All users can request access to their personal information, corrections, deletion or restrictions on its use. You can also request the information in a transferable format or object to its processing.
For privacy questions or requests, use CONTACT or write to contact@netherwall.com. We may need to confirm your identity before fulfilling the request.
===== 12. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY =====
We will update this page when our privacy practices change and show the revised effective date.