localStorage.
1. Introduction
Universal Image Data Explorer Forge respects your privacy by design. Because the tool is entirely client-side, the traditional privacy concerns of cloud-based image converters — file upload, server-side processing, third-party access to your content, retention policies — do not apply. This Privacy Policy explains in detail what information is processed, where it lives, and what choices you have.
2. How Your Image Is Processed
When you upload an image, your browser's FileReader API reads the file into memory on your own device. The image is then drawn to an invisible HTML5 <canvas> element and the pixel data is extracted with ctx.getImageData(). Every converter, matrix builder, hash function and revert operation reads from this in-memory buffer. At no point does the Forge make a network request with your image data.
You can verify this behaviour yourself: open your browser's Developer Tools, switch to the Network tab, and upload an image. You will see no outbound request with the image payload. Alternatively, disable your internet connection after loading the page — the Forge will continue to convert images without any loss of functionality.
3. Information You Provide Voluntarily
The only information you can voluntarily provide to the Forge is an email address entered in the Unlock Downloads box. This email is used solely to unlock the .txt, .c, .py, .java, .js and .bin download buttons. It is stored in your browser's localStorage under the key forge_reg_emails, in an array of strings. It is never sent to any server. It is never used for marketing. It is never shared with any third party. If you clear your browser's site data, the email is removed.
If you email us directly at contact@startknowledge.in, support@startknowledge.in or hello@startknowledge.in, your message is stored in our email inbox and handled according to our normal business practices.
4. Information Collected Automatically by Third Parties
The Forge loads several third-party services to render its interface and monetize the free tool. These services may collect technical information about your visit according to their own privacy policies. The main services are:
- Google Fonts — serves the Inter typeface; may log your IP address for rate limiting.
- Font Awesome CDN — serves icon fonts; may log your IP address.
- Google Tag Manager — loads and sequences analytics and marketing tags.
- Google Analytics — collects aggregate traffic statistics such as page views, session duration, referrer and approximate geographic region.
- Google AdSense — serves advertisements and may use cookies for frequency capping and personalization.
None of these services receive your image data. They only see the HTTP requests that load their own resources — fonts, scripts, ad slots. The technical information they collect typically includes IP address, user-agent string, page URL and timestamps.
5. Cookies and Similar Technologies
The Forge itself does not set any first-party cookies. It uses one localStorage entry (the email list mentioned above). Third-party services may set their own cookies — for example Google Analytics sets _ga and _gid, and AdSense sets __gads and IDE. See the Cookies Policy for a full breakdown and opt-out instructions.
6. Advertising and Ad Personalization
Advertisements displayed on the Forge are served by Google AdSense. Ad selection may use cookies or interest-based signals to show you advertisements that are more likely to be relevant. You can control ad personalization through Google's Ads Settings page. You can also install browser extensions that block advertising entirely — this will not break the Forge's core functionality.
7. Analytics
Aggregate analytics collected by Google Analytics help us understand which converters are most used, which pages need improvement, and whether the site is performing well on different devices. This data is aggregated and anonymized — we do not see individual user behaviour. We do not combine analytics data with any other data source to identify individuals.
8. Data Retention
The Forge does not retain any data on any server. All client-side data — the email list, cached fonts, cached ES modules — lives in your browser and is removed when you clear your browser's site data or uninstall the browser. Emails sent to us are retained according to our standard business email retention practices, typically up to three years.
9. Children's Privacy
The Forge is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has submitted personal information to us, please contact us so we can remove it.
10. Your Rights
Because the Forge does not collect personal information on any server, most data-subject rights are automatically satisfied. To exercise your rights with respect to any emails you have sent us, contact contact@startknowledge.in. You can also clear your browser's local storage at any time to remove the download-unlock email list from your device.
11. Security
The Forge is served over HTTPS. Your image data never travels over the network, so it cannot be intercepted. The tool does not accept passwords, payment card details, authentication tokens or other sensitive credentials. Please do not enter such information into any input field.
12. External Links
The Forge links to external websites including the main StartKnowledge portal, its blog, and a family of sibling projects. Once you click an external link, you leave the Forge and become subject to the destination website's own privacy practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any site you visit.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the services we use or in applicable law. The current version is always published on this page. We encourage you to review it periodically.
14. Contact
For privacy questions, please email:
- General — contact@startknowledge.in
- Technical — support@startknowledge.in
- General hello — hello@startknowledge.in
15. Related Pages
- Home — Convert your first image
- About — Project background
- Contact — Reach the team
- How to Use — Step-by-step guide
- Documentation — Technical reference
- FAQ — Frequently asked questions
- Support — Troubleshooting steps
- Cookies Policy
- Terms & Conditions
- Disclaimer
- Changelog
- Additional Resources
- Blog