# Data Handling & Privacy

## Introduction

Cr3dentials operates on a **privacy-by-design** architecture where protecting your sensitive information isn't just a feature—it's the fundamental principle that shapes every aspect of our platform. This page provides complete transparency about how we handle your data, what we collect, what we don't collect, and how we protect your privacy.

### Core Privacy Philosophy

#### Zero-Knowledge Architecture

Our entire system is built around the principle that **we cannot and do not access your sensitive personal information**. This isn't just a policy choice—it's a technological impossibility built into our architecture.

**Key Principles:**

* **Privacy by Design**: Privacy protections are built into the technology, not added later
* **Data Minimization**: We collect only what's absolutely necessary for verification
* **User Control**: You decide what information to share and with whom
* **Cryptographic Guarantees**: Mathematical proofs ensure privacy, not just promises

### What Data We Never Collect or See

#### Financial Information

CR3Dentials **never has access** to your financial data:

| Never Collected         | Why We Don't Need It                                              |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Bank account numbers    | Zero-knowledge proofs verify ownership without revealing accounts |
| Account balances        | We verify threshold compliance, not exact amounts                 |
| Transaction histories   | Pattern verification happens locally on your device               |
| Credit card information | Not required for our verification process                         |
| Investment portfolios   | Outside scope of current verification types                       |
| Credit scores           | We verify creditworthiness claims, not scores themselves          |
| Tax documents           | Income verification through secure third-party proofs             |
| Loan information        | Not collected or needed for verification                          |

#### Personal Identifiable Information (PII)

We operate without accessing traditional PII:

| Never Collected          | Alternative Approach                                |
| ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------- |
| Social Security Numbers  | Identity verified through cryptographic proofs      |
| Driver's license numbers | Age/identity verified without document access       |
| Passport information     | Citizenship claims verified through ZK proofs       |
| Home addresses           | Location verification without address disclosure    |
| Birth dates              | Age verification without revealing exact birth date |
| Phone numbers\*          | Only collected if user chooses it for communication |
| Biometric data           | Never collected or processed                        |
| Government ID photos     | Identity verified through other means               |

\*Phone numbers are only collected if you explicitly provide them for account recovery or communication preferences.

#### Employment & Professional Information

Your career details remain private:

| Never Collected      | How We Verify Instead                               |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| Salary amounts       | Income threshold verification through ZK proofs     |
| Employment contracts | Employment status verified through third parties    |
| HR records           | Professional claims verified without record access  |
| Performance reviews  | Skill attestations from colleagues/supervisors      |
| Job titles           | Professional credentials verified independently     |
| Employer names\*     | Employment verification without revealing employers |
| Start/end dates\*    | Employment duration verified in ranges              |

\*May be disclosed at user's discretion for specific verification types.

#### Health & Medical Information

We never process health data:

| Never Collected        | Future Approach                                   |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Medical records        | Health claims verified through ZK proofs          |
| Insurance information  | Coverage verification without policy details      |
| Prescription data      | Medical credentials without personal health info  |
| Health test results    | Compliance verification without result disclosure |
| Mental health records  | Professional credentials only                     |
| Disability information | Accommodation verification without disclosure     |

### What Data We Do Collect

#### Account & Authentication Data

**Required for Account Creation:**

* **Email Address**: For account creation, recovery, and important notifications
  * Stored encrypted in our database
  * Used only for authentication and critical communications
  * Can be updated or removed when closing account
* **Wallet Address**: For blockchain-based authentication
  * Public key only (not private keys)
  * Used for Web3 authentication and attestation signing
  * Standard blockchain address, publicly visible by nature

**Optional Profile Information:**

* **Display Name**: User-chosen identifier for attestations
  * Can be pseudonymous or anonymous
  * Used for attestation attribution
  * Changeable at any time
* **Communication Preferences**: How you want to receive notifications
  * Email frequency settings
  * Notification types (verification updates, security alerts)
  * Can be modified in account settings

#### Verification Metadata

**Request Information:**

* **Verification Type**: What kind of verification was requested (income, employment, etc.)
* **Requirements**: Threshold amounts, time periods, criteria (e.g., "income > $50k")
* **Request Timestamp**: When verification was initiated
* **Expiration Date**: When verification request expires
* **Status**: Current state (pending, completed, failed, expired)

**Proof Validation Data:**

* **Cryptographic Proof Hashes**: Mathematical representations of proofs (not original data)
* **Validation Results**: Whether proofs passed or failed verification
* **Validation Timestamp**: When proof validation occurred
* **Proof Method**: Which verification method was used (Reclaim, direct attestation, etc.)

**Attestation References:**

* **Attestation UIDs**: Unique identifiers for blockchain attestations
* **Schema Information**: Structure of attestation data
* **Blockchain Network**: Which network attestation was created on
* **Public Keys**: For attestation signature verification

#### Technical & System Data

**API Usage Logs:**

* **Request Timestamps**: When API calls were made
* **Endpoint Access**: Which API endpoints were called
* **Response Codes**: Success/failure status of requests
* **IP Addresses**: For security monitoring and fraud prevention
* **User Agent**: Browser/app information for compatibility

**Error & Debugging Logs:**

* **Error Messages**: Technical errors (never containing personal data)
* **Stack Traces**: For debugging (scrubbed of sensitive information)
* **Performance Metrics**: Response times, system load
* **Usage Statistics**: Anonymous, aggregated platform usage

**Security Monitoring:**

* **Login Attempts**: Successful and failed authentication attempts
* **Suspicious Activity**: Unusual access patterns or potential threats
* **Rate Limiting**: API usage patterns for abuse prevention
* **Audit Trail**: Record of sensitive operations (without personal data)

### Data Processing Methods

#### Zero-Knowledge Proof Processing

**Step 1: Local Proof Generation**

* Raw credentials processed on your device only
* Zero-knowledge proofs generated locally
* **CR3Dentials never receives raw data**

**Step 2: Proof Transmission**

* Only cryptographic proofs sent to our servers
* Proofs contain no personal information
* Mathematical validation possible without data access

**Step 3: Proof Validation**

* We validate proof authenticity and correctness
* Verification against requested criteria
* **No access to underlying data used in proof**

**Step 4: Result Processing**

* Pass/fail result generated
* Attestation created with public claims only
* Personal data never included in final attestation

#### Reclaim Protocol Integration

**Secure Data Sourcing:**

* Reclaim connects directly to data sources (banks, employers, etc.)
* TLS witnessing ensures data authenticity
* **CR3Dentials never sees the source data**

**Proof Generation Process:**

* Raw data processed by Reclaim's zero-knowledge engine
* Cryptographic proofs generated meeting your requirements
* **Only mathematical proofs transmitted to CR3Dentials**

**Privacy Guarantees:**

* Source data never leaves Reclaim's secure environment
* CR3Dentials receives only proof validation results
* Full audit trail without personal data exposure

### Data Storage & Security

#### Encryption Standards

**Data at Rest:**

* **AES-256 Encryption**: All stored data encrypted with industry-standard encryption
* **Key Rotation**: Encryption keys rotated every 90 days
* **Separate Key Management**: Encryption keys stored separately from data
* **Hardware Security Modules**: Keys protected by HSMs in production

**Data in Transit:**

* **TLS 1.3**: Latest transport layer security for all communications
* **Certificate Pinning**: Prevents man-in-the-middle attacks
* **Perfect Forward Secrecy**: Each session uses unique encryption keys
* **End-to-End Encryption**: Sensitive operations encrypted client-to-server

### Data Sharing & Third-Party Access

#### What We Never Share

**Prohibited Sharing:**

* **Raw Personal Data**: Never shared, as we don't collect it
* **Financial Information**: Never accessed or shared
* **Identity Documents**: Never collected or shared
* **Private Communications**: User messages or personal interactions
* **Location Data**: Precise location information never collected
* **Browsing History**: We don't track or share web activity

#### Limited Sharing Scenarios

**Authorized Verification Results:**

* **Cryptographic Proof Results**: Shared only with parties you authorize
* **Attestation References**: Public blockchain references (contain no personal data)
* **Verification Status**: Pass/fail results for authorized verifiers
* **Compliance Claims**: Regulatory compliance status when required

**Legal Requirements:**

* **Law Enforcement Requests**: Limited to proof metadata, never raw credentials
* **Court Orders**: Compliance with valid legal process
* **Regulatory Audits**: Anonymized data for compliance verification
* **National Security**: As required by law (we'll fight overreach)

**Service Providers:**

* **Infrastructure Partners**: Hosting, security, and monitoring services (with strict DPAs)
* **Blockchain Networks**: Public attestation data only
* **Email Service**: For account communications (encrypted)
* **Security Services**: Threat detection and prevention (anonymized data)

#### Third-Party Service Agreements

**Data Processing Agreements (DPAs):**

* All service providers sign comprehensive DPAs
* Strict limitations on data use and processing
* Regular audits of third-party compliance
* Right to terminate for privacy violations

**Service Provider Categories:**

* **Infrastructure**: AWS, Google Cloud (encrypted data only)
* **Security**: Threat detection services (anonymized logs)
* **Communication**: Email delivery services (minimal data)
* **Monitoring**: Performance and uptime monitoring (no personal data)

### User Rights & Controls

#### Data Access Rights

**View Your Data:**

* **Account Dashboard**: See all data we have about you
* **Verification History**: Complete record of your verifications
* **Attestation Registry**: All attestations created for you
* **Data Export**: Download your data in JSON format

**Data Portability:**

* **Instant Export**: Download your verification history and attestations
* **Standardized Format**: JSON export compatible with other systems
* **Cryptographic Proofs**: Export proof metadata for independent verification
* **Attestation References**: Blockchain UIDs for public verification

#### Privacy Controls

**Verification Privacy Settings:**

* **Disclosure Level**: Choose how much information to reveal per verification
* **Verifier Authorization**: Control who can request verifications from you
* **Attestation Visibility**: Public, private, or semi-private attestations
* **Expiration Settings**: Set automatic expiration for sensitive attestations

**Communication Controls:**

* **Notification Preferences**: Choose what communications you receive
* **Contact Methods**: Select preferred communication channels
* **Marketing Opt-Out**: No marketing communications (we don't do marketing anyway)
* **Emergency Contacts**: Optional emergency notification settings

#### Account Management

**Profile Controls:**

* **Pseudonymous Operation**: Use fake names or identifiers if preferred
* **Multiple Identities**: Create separate verification identities
* **Identity Switching**: Switch between professional and personal identities
* **Anonymous Verification**: Option for completely anonymous attestations

**Security Settings:**

* **Two-Factor Authentication**: Required for sensitive operations
* **Login Notifications**: Alerts for new device access
* **Suspicious Activity**: Automatic alerts for unusual account activity
* **Session Management**: View and terminate active sessions