Legal
Cookie Policy
Last updated: May 2026
The short version
RealTime.Photos does not use tracking cookies or third-party advertising cookies. We use browser localStorage and sessionStorage — not cookies — to remember small preferences on your device. None of this data is sent to our servers or shared with anyone.
What we store and why
All storage is local to your browser. It is never transmitted to our servers and contains no personally identifiable information.
Guest gallery
| Key | Storage | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| liked_[photoId] | localStorage | Records which photos you have liked so you cannot like the same photo twice. Stored per photo ID — no user identity attached. | Until you clear browser data |
| rtp_sort | sessionStorage | Remembers your preferred sort order (newest first / most liked) for the duration of your browser session. | Session end |
| rtp_auth_[eventSlug] | sessionStorage | Records that you have successfully entered the password for a password-protected gallery, so you are not prompted again. | Session end |
Photographer dashboard
Photographer authentication is handled entirely by Clerk. Clerk sets session cookies required for secure login. These are strictly necessary for the authenticated dashboard to function. Refer to Clerk's privacy policy for details.
No tracking or advertising cookies
We do not use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or any other third-party tracking or advertising technology. We use Vercel Analytics to understand general traffic patterns — it is cookieless and collects no personally identifiable information. We do not build profiles of guests or photographers for advertising purposes.
Your choices
Since we do not use cookies for tracking, there is nothing to opt out of. You can clear your browser's localStorage and sessionStorage at any time through your browser's privacy or storage settings. This will reset your liked photos and sort preferences but will not affect your account or any data on our servers.
Changes to this policy
If we introduce new storage mechanisms, we will update this policy and notify photographer account holders accordingly.