Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 26, 2024

1. Introduction

Welcome to Temp Mail Instant ("we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website (the "Website") and use our temporary email service (the "Service"). Protecting your privacy is a core principle of our service.

Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the site or use the service.

2. Information We Collect

We strive to minimize data collection. The information we handle includes:

2.1 Information Collected Automatically (Usage Data / Server Logs)

Like most website operators, we collect non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available. This includes:

  • Internet Protocol (IP) address (we may anonymize or truncate this where feasible)
  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system
  • Referring website
  • Pages visited on our Website
  • Date and time of each visitor request
  • Basic request/response information (status codes, etc.)

This information is collected automatically through server logs and potentially through analytics services (see Section 5). It is used for operating the service, monitoring security, preventing abuse (e.g., rate limiting, blocking malicious IPs), analyzing traffic patterns, and improving the service.

2.2 Temporary Email Content

When you use our Service, the temporary email address generated for you receives emails. We temporarily store the content of these emails (including headers, body, and metadata about attachments) solely to display them to you within the Service interface.

Crucially, this email content is automatically and permanently deleted from our active systems shortly after the designated expiry time of your temporary email address (e.g., typically 10 minutes for free users, or the extended duration for premium users).

We do not:

  • Read, analyze, or index the content of your temporary emails for any purpose other than displaying them to you.
  • Archive or back up the content of temporary emails beyond their expiry period.
  • Sell, rent, or share the content of your temporary emails with third parties, except as strictly required by law (see Section 4).

2.3 Session Information

We use browser session cookies to maintain your state while you use the service, primarily to remember the currently active temporary email address assigned to you during your visit. This allows the page to function correctly when you refresh or navigate. This session identifier is typically a randomly generated unique ID (UUID) and is not linked to personal information unless you subscribe to premium services.

2.4 Premium Subscription Information (If Applicable)

If and when premium services are offered and you subscribe, we will collect information necessary to manage your subscription. This may include:

  • A unique identifier associated with your account (could be the session UUID or a separate account ID).
  • The email address you provide for account management and billing communication (which is distinct from the temporary emails).
  • Subscription details (tier chosen, start/end dates, renewal status).
  • Payment transaction information (processed via a secure third-party payment gateway like Stripe; we do **not** store your full credit card details).
  • Custom domain information (if you configure this feature).

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect or process as follows:

  • To Provide and Maintain the Service: Generating temporary addresses, receiving and temporarily displaying emails, managing user sessions, operating the website.
  • To Improve the Service: Analyzing Usage Data to understand how the service is used, identify issues, and enhance user experience.
  • For Security and Abuse Prevention: Monitoring server logs for malicious activity, rate limiting requests, blocking abusive IP addresses.
  • To Manage Premium Subscriptions (If Applicable): Processing payments, managing account status, providing premium features, communicating about the subscription.
  • To Comply with Legal Obligations: Responding to lawful requests from authorities (see Section 4).

4. Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your information. We may disclose information in the following limited circumstances:

  • By Law or to Protect Rights: If required by law, subpoena, or other legal process, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request. Due to the temporary nature of email content, such content is highly unlikely to be available for disclosure after its expiry.
  • Service Providers: We may share necessary information with third-party vendors and service providers who perform services for us or on our behalf, such as payment processing (e.g., Stripe), website hosting, email delivery infrastructure (e.g., ForwardEmail.net for receiving), and analytics services (e.g., Google Analytics). These providers have access only to the information needed to perform their functions and are obligated not to disclose or use it for other purposes.
  • Business Transfers: In connection with any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business by another company, information may be transferred as a business asset.

5. Data Retention

Our data retention practices are designed for privacy:

  • Temporary Email Content: Automatically and permanently deleted shortly after the temporary address expires. No persistent backups are kept.
  • Usage Data / Server Logs: Retained for a limited period (typically 7-30 days) necessary for security analysis, troubleshooting, and abuse prevention, after which it is deleted or anonymized/aggregated.
  • Session Data: Session cookies typically expire when you close your browser or after a period of inactivity. The associated session ID might persist in logs as part of Usage Data.
  • Premium Account Data (If Applicable): Retained for the duration of your active subscription and for a reasonable period afterward as required for financial records, legal compliance, or handling disputes.

6. Cookies, Tracking Technologies, and Advertising

  • Essential Cookies: We use strictly necessary cookies (e.g., session cookies) for the core functionality of the Service, such as maintaining your session state and remembering your current temporary email address.
  • Analytics: We may use analytics services (like a self-hosted Plausible Analytics or privacy-focused configuration of Google Analytics) to understand website traffic and usage patterns. These services may use cookies. Where possible, we configure these to respect user privacy (e.g., IP anonymization).
  • Advertising (Google AdSense): For our free service, we use Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google uses cookies (like the DoubleClick cookie) to serve ads based on users' visits to our site and other sites on the Internet. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to our users. Users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. Alternatively, users can opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info/choices. Please see Google's Privacy Policy for more details on how they use data.

You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept essential cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures designed to protect the information we handle from loss, theft, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. This includes using HTTPS (SSL/TLS) encryption for all communication with our Website. However, no internet transmission or electronic storage method is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Data Rights (e.g., GDPR/CCPA)

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, such as the right to access, correct, or delete your data, or restrict its processing. Given the ephemeral nature of our service:

  • **Email Content:** This data is automatically deleted upon expiry, so access/correction/deletion requests are generally not applicable after expiry.
  • **Usage Data/Logs:** This data is typically not directly linked to an individual user in a persistent way, except potentially through IP address. You may inquire about data associated with your IP address, subject to our ability to identify and isolate it within our retention period.
  • **Premium Account Data (If Applicable):** You have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your premium account information, subject to legal and contractual retention requirements.

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details in Section 11.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for use by children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us so we can promptly remove it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

Email: privacy@temp-mail-instant.org

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