Privacy Policy

This privacy policy describes how TWBlue, a free and open-source social media client developed by MCV Software, handles your data. Please read this policy carefully to understand our practices regarding your information. This policy should be read in conjunction with our Terms of Service.

1. Overview

TWBlue is designed with privacy in mind. As a desktop client application, TWBlue stores all data locally on your computer and does not collect or transmit your personal information to MCV Software servers.

2. Data Stored Locally

2.1. Access Tokens

To connect to your Mastodon or GoToSocial accounts, TWBlue requires authorization through access tokens. These tokens allow TWBlue to authenticate and perform actions on your behalf without requiring your password.

Access tokens are stored locally in TWBlue's configuration directory on your computer. They are never transmitted to MCV Software servers. If you wish to revoke TWBlue's access to your accounts, you can:

2.2. Account Information

TWBlue stores basic account information locally to provide functionality, including:

All this data is stored exclusively on your computer in TWBlue's configuration directory and local database. It is used only to display accurate and updated information within the application.

2.3. Application Settings

Your TWBlue preferences, including interface settings, keyboard shortcuts, selected soundpack, and other configuration options, are stored locally in configuration files on your computer.

3. Data Transmitted to Third Parties

3.1. Social Network Instances

When you use TWBlue, the application communicates directly with the Mastodon or GoToSocial instances where your accounts are registered. This communication includes:

This data transmission is necessary for TWBlue to function as a social media client. The privacy policies of your specific Mastodon or GoToSocial instance govern how that instance handles your data.

3.2. Translation Services (Optional)

If you choose to use TWBlue's translation features, text content may be sent to third-party translation services such as:

The text sent for translation does not include information that can directly identify your user account. The use of these services is optional and only occurs when you explicitly request a translation.

3.3. OCR Services (Optional)

When you use TWBlue's optical character recognition (OCR) feature for images, image URLs may be sent to OCR.Space or similar services to extract text from images. These URLs do not contain information that identifies your user account.

4. Data Not Collected by MCV Software

MCV Software does not collect, store, or process any of the following through TWBlue:

TWBlue does not include telemetry, analytics, or any form of remote data collection.

5. Your Rights and Control

5.1. Data Access

All data stored by TWBlue is located in the application's configuration directory on your computer. You have full access to view, modify, or delete this data at any time.

5.2. Data Deletion

To completely remove all TWBlue data from your computer:

  1. Uninstall TWBlue from your system
  2. Delete the TWBlue configuration directory (typically located in your user profile folder)

5.3. Revoke Account Access

You can revoke TWBlue's access to your social media accounts at any time through your Mastodon or GoToSocial instance settings, or by deleting the configuration directory containing your access tokens.

6. Security

TWBlue stores all data locally on your computer. The security of this data depends on the security measures you have in place for your computer system, including:

MCV Software recommends following security best practices to protect your computer and the data stored on it.

7. Children's Privacy

TWBlue does not collect personal information from anyone. However, the social networks you access through TWBlue may have age restrictions. Please review the terms of service and privacy policies of your specific Mastodon or GoToSocial instance.

8. Open Source Transparency

TWBlue is open-source software. You can review the complete source code on GitHub to verify how the application handles your data. We welcome community review and contributions to ensure TWBlue remains privacy-focused.

9. Changes to This Policy

MCV Software may update this privacy policy from time to time. Updated policies will be posted at https://mcvsoftware.com/twblue/privacy/. We recommend reviewing this page periodically for any changes. Continued use of TWBlue after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns about this privacy policy or how TWBlue handles your data, please contact us at info@mcvsoftware.com or visit our contact page.

11. Relationship to General MCV Software Privacy Policy

This privacy policy is specific to TWBlue. For information about other MCV Software services, please refer to the general MCV Software privacy policy.

Last updated: January 2025