Cookie Policy

Effective Date: October 24, 2025

Last Updated: October 24, 2025

Privacy-First Approach: GeckoShare uses minimal cookies for essential functionality only. We do NOT use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or third-party analytics cookies. Your privacy is our priority.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device (computer, phone, tablet) by websites you visit. They help websites remember information about your visit, such as preferences or session state.

1.1 How Cookies Work

1.2 Other Tracking Technologies

In addition to cookies, we may use:

2. Cookies We Use

GeckoShare uses only essential cookies necessary for the Service to function. We do NOT use advertising, social media, or tracking cookies.

2.1 Essential Cookies (Required)

Cookie Name Purpose Duration Type
session_id Maintain upload/download session state, track progress of multi-part uploads Session (deleted when browser closes) Essential
wallet_connection Remember Pro tier wallet connection (Solana wallet address - public key only) 7 days Essential (Pro tier)
rate_limit Track API request limits to prevent abuse and enforce rate limits 15 minutes Essential (security)
csrf_token Prevent Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks for secure form submissions Session Essential (security)

Legal Basis (GDPR): These cookies are strictly necessary for the Service to function and do not require consent under GDPR Article 6(1)(b) (contract performance) and ePrivacy Directive Article 5(3) exception.

2.2 Functional Cookies (Optional)

Cookie Name Purpose Duration Required?
ui_preferences Remember user preferences (dark mode, language selection, notification settings) 1 year No (opt-in)
cookie_consent Remember your cookie consent choices (accepted or declined non-essential cookies) 1 year Yes (to honor your choice)

Legal Basis (GDPR): Functional cookies require consent under ePrivacy Directive. You can opt in or out at any time via Cookie Settings.

2.3 Cookies We Do NOT Use

No Tracking or Advertising: GeckoShare does NOT use the following types of cookies:

3. Local Storage and Session Storage

3.1 Local Storage (Browser Storage)

GeckoShare uses browser Local Storage to store data on your device. Unlike cookies, Local Storage data is NOT sent to our servers.

What We Store in Local Storage:

Data Type Purpose Duration
Encryption Keys (Temporary) Temporarily store encryption keys during upload/download operations (keys are cleared immediately after use) Seconds (cleared automatically)
Upload Progress Track progress of multi-part file uploads (for large files >100MB) Until upload completes or browser refresh
File Metadata Cache Temporarily cache encrypted file metadata (file names, sizes) for Vault UI performance 7 days (Pro tier) or until browser clears data
UI Preferences Remember settings like dark mode, language, notification preferences Indefinite (until you clear browser data)

Security Note: Encryption keys stored in Local Storage are only accessible to GeckoShare (same-origin policy). Other websites cannot read this data. Keys are cleared immediately after encryption/decryption operations.

3.2 Session Storage

Session Storage is temporary storage that lasts only for the current browser tab session.

What We Store in Session Storage:

Cleared Automatically: All Session Storage data is deleted when you close the browser tab or window.

4. Third-Party Services and Cookies

4.1 Third-Party Services We Use

GeckoShare integrates with external services that may set their own cookies or process data:

4.1.1 Solana Wallet Adapters (Pro Tier)

4.1.2 Hetzner Object Storage

4.1.3 Solana RPC Providers

4.2 No Third-Party Tracking

GeckoShare does NOT integrate with:

5. How to Manage Cookies

5.1 Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit GeckoShare, you'll see a cookie consent banner:

Change Your Preferences: Click "Cookie Settings" in the footer at any time to update your choices.

5.2 Browser Cookie Controls

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Here's how:

Google Chrome

  1. Click menu (three dots) → Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
  2. Choose "Block third-party cookies" or "Block all cookies"
  3. To clear existing cookies: Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data → Cookies

Mozilla Firefox

  1. Click menu (three lines) → Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
  2. Choose "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" or custom settings
  3. To clear existing cookies: Settings → Privacy & Security → Clear Data → Cookies

Safari (macOS)

  1. Safari menu → Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
  2. Select GeckoShare and click "Remove"
  3. Or enable "Block all cookies" (may break website functionality)

Microsoft Edge

  1. Click menu (three dots) → Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data
  2. Choose "Block third-party cookies" or custom settings
  3. To clear cookies: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Clear browsing data

⚠️ Warning: Blocking essential cookies will prevent GeckoShare from functioning properly. You may not be able to upload files, maintain Pro tier connections, or complete downloads.

5.3 Clear Local Storage

To clear Local Storage data (encryption keys, upload progress, preferences):

  1. Open browser Developer Tools (F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I / Cmd+Option+I)
  2. Go to "Application" tab (Chrome) or "Storage" tab (Firefox)
  3. Expand "Local Storage" and select GeckoShare domain
  4. Click "Clear All" to delete all Local Storage data

Alternative: Clear all site data via browser settings (same as clearing cookies).

5.4 Privacy-Focused Browsers

GeckoShare works seamlessly with privacy-focused browsers:

6. Do Not Track (DNT)

We Respect DNT Signals: If your browser sends a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal, GeckoShare will:

How to Enable DNT:

7. Impact of Blocking Cookies

7.1 Essential Cookies Blocked

If you block essential cookies, you may experience:

Recommendation: Allow essential cookies for GeckoShare to function properly. These cookies do NOT track you and are strictly necessary.

7.2 Functional Cookies Blocked

If you block functional cookies, you may experience:

No Impact on Core Functionality: File uploads, downloads, and Pro tier features will still work.

8. Cookie Retention and Deletion

8.1 Automatic Deletion

GeckoShare automatically deletes cookies according to their expiration:

8.2 Manual Deletion

You can manually delete cookies at any time:

9. Updates to Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect:

Notification of Changes:

10. Legal Basis and Compliance

10.1 GDPR and ePrivacy Directive

GeckoShare complies with:

Consent Mechanism:

10.2 CCPA Compliance

Under California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

11. Contact Information

Cookie Questions:
Email: privacy@privacygecko.com
Subject Line: "Cookie Policy Question"

Privacy Policy: Read Full Privacy Policy

Terms of Service: Read Terms of Service

Your Privacy Rights: Submit GDPR/CCPA Request

GeckoShare: Privacy-First File Sharing
Last Updated: October 24, 2025
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