Privacy Policy

Our Commitment to Privacy

At Elf 5, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services.

Scope of This Policy

Important: This Privacy Policy applies to the Elf 5 Hosted Service - the cloud-hosted version of Periscope operated by Elf 5.

Self-Hosted Periscope: Periscope can also be self-hosted on your own infrastructure. If you self-host Periscope, Elf 5 does not collect, process, or have access to any data from your self-hosted instance. You have complete control and responsibility for all data collection, privacy practices, and compliance for your self-hosted deployment.

The data collection and privacy practices described below apply only when you use the Elf 5 Hosted Service.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create a Periscope account, we collect your email address for authentication and communication purposes.

Service Usage Data

When you use Periscope, we automatically collect:

• Tunnel Information: Tunnel names, connection times, and connection status
• Access Logs: Actions you perform (creating, updating, or deleting tunnels and configurations), timestamps, and success or failure status
• Technical Information: IP addresses, operating system, device type, and CLI version (for command-line users)
• Traffic Metadata: HTTP request methods, paths, and response codes for traffic passing through your tunnels (we do not inspect or store the content of your tunnel traffic)
• Authentication Events: Login and logout events, authentication method used

Error and Diagnostic Data

We collect error reports and diagnostic information when the service encounters issues, including error messages and system state information, to help us identify and fix problems.

Website Usage Data

When you visit our website, we collect standard web analytics data including IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time spent on our site.

Cookies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website and remember your preferences.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide the Service: Authenticate users, create and manage tunnels, route traffic, and ensure service availability
• Security and Compliance: Monitor for unauthorized access, maintain audit logs for compliance (SOC2, GDPR, ISO 27001), detect and prevent abuse
• Service Improvement: Identify and fix bugs, understand usage patterns, develop new features, and optimize performance
• Customer Support: Respond to your inquiries, troubleshoot issues, and provide technical assistance
• Communication: Send important service updates, security notifications, and (with your consent) product announcements
• Legal Obligations: Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes

Information Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties without your consent, except:

• To trusted service providers who assist us in operating our website and conducting our business
• When required by law or to protect our rights and safety
• In connection with a business transfer, merger, or acquisition

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

Important: We do not inspect, monitor, or store the content of data transmitted through your tunnels. We only collect metadata about tunnel connections and traffic (such as connection times, request methods, and response codes). You are responsible for the security of any services you expose through Periscope tunnels.

While we take security seriously, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. Please see our Terms of Service for additional information about your security responsibilities.

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access, update, or delete your personal information
• Object to or restrict the processing of your data
• Data portability
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:

• Account Information: Retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period afterward to comply with legal obligations
• Audit Logs: Retained for compliance purposes, typically for a period required by applicable regulations
• Usage Data: Retained for up to 90 days for service improvement and troubleshooting
• Error Logs: Retained for up to 30 days for debugging purposes

You may request deletion of your data by contacting us at [email protected], subject to our legal retention obligations.

International Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16.

Changes to This 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.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Email: [email protected]