Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

YTCut ("we", "us", "our") operates the website ytcut.org, a free online YouTube video cutter. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use the service, how we use it, and what rights you have over it.

If you have questions about this policy, contact us at [email protected].

2. What we collect

2.1 Server logs

When you visit ytcut.org, our server automatically records a standard log entry. This includes:

• Your IP address
• The page or resource you requested (URL)
• The date and time of the request
• Your browser's User-Agent string (browser type and version, operating system)
• HTTP status code returned
• Bytes transferred

This is the same information recorded by every web server in the world. We do not add to it or enrich it.

2.2 YouTube URLs you submit

When you submit a YouTube URL for processing, that URL is recorded in our application logs along with your IP address and a timestamp. This is necessary to operate the service (we have to know what to fetch) and for rate limiting (one clip per day on the free tier).

2.3 Premium account data

If you subscribe to Premium, you provide an email address during sign-up. That email is stored in our database and used only to authenticate your account and send transactional emails (receipts, cancellation confirmations). We do not send marketing email unless you explicitly opt in.

Payment processing is handled entirely by our payment providers. We never see or store your card number, CVV, or billing address, and no payment credential of any kind reaches our servers. What we receive back is a transaction reference and your subscription status, which is the minimum needed to know that a plan is active.

2.4 Contact form submissions

If you use the contact form or email us directly, we keep your message and email address to respond to you and maintain a record of the exchange. We do not add you to any mailing list as a result of contacting us.

3. What we do not collect

To be specific about what is not happening:

• We do not use Google Analytics or any behavioral analytics platform.
• We do not use the Facebook Pixel or any Meta tracking tools.
• We do not use TikTok Pixel, Twitter/X Pixel, or any ad-network tracking.
• We do not fingerprint your browser or device.
• We do not build a profile of your viewing history or download history beyond what is needed for rate limiting.
• We do not collect your name unless you give it to us voluntarily (contact form or account registration).
• We do not collect your location beyond what is implied by your IP address.
• We do not purchase third-party data to augment what we have.

4. How we use the data we collect

Operating the service. Server logs and submitted URLs let us route requests, process downloads, and serve responses.

Rate limiting. We track clip counts by IP address to enforce the free tier limit of one clip per day. This data is not linked to any persistent user profile.

Diagnosing errors. When something breaks, logs are the only way to figure out what happened. We look at logs when investigating a reported bug or an unexpected failure.

Security. Logs help us identify and block abusive traffic patterns, such as automated scrapers or bulk download attempts that violate our terms.

Aggregate statistics. We may count total downloads or visits as aggregate numbers (not tied to individuals) to understand how the service is being used. These numbers are not sold or shared.

5. Data retention

Server logs: Retained for 14 days, then automatically deleted.

Application logs (submitted URLs, rate limit records): Retained for 14 days, then deleted.

Cached clip files: Processed video and audio clips are stored in our cache for up to 7 days. After 7 days they are deleted automatically. We do not archive downloaded content.

Premium account data (email, payment transaction reference): Retained for as long as your account is active, plus 30 days after cancellation to allow for reactivation. Records of completed transactions are kept for longer where tax or accounting law requires it. You can request deletion at any time by emailing [email protected].

Contact messages: Retained indefinitely so we can reference past correspondence. You can request deletion by emailing us.

6. Third-party services

6.1 Cloudflare

Our website is served through Cloudflare's CDN and proxy network. Cloudflare sees your IP address and request data before it reaches our server. Cloudflare has its own privacy policy at cloudflare.com/privacypolicy. We use Cloudflare for performance and DDoS protection, not for advertising.

6.2 Payment providers

If you buy a plan, the payment itself is handled by a third-party payment provider rather than by us. Which provider depends on how you choose to pay:

• Cryptocurrency payments are processed by NOWPayments, whose privacy policy is at nowpayments.io/privacy-policy. They receive the payment amount and the wallet transaction, and pass us back a payment status.
• Where a payment is taken by a reseller or merchant of record acting on our behalf, that company is the seller for the transaction and its own privacy policy governs the payment data it collects. The provider in use is always shown on the checkout page before you pay.

In every case the provider may store your billing details and transaction history under their own policy. We receive only what is necessary to confirm that your plan is paid and active. We never receive your full card number, and we do not store payment credentials on our own systems at any point.

6.3 Google Fonts

We load the Outfit typeface from Google Fonts. This causes your browser to make a request to Google's servers, which may include your IP address. Google's privacy policy applies to that request. If you prefer, you can block requests to fonts.googleapis.com using a browser extension.

6.4 YouTube / Google

When you submit a YouTube URL, our server fetches that video from YouTube's infrastructure on your behalf. Your IP address is not sent to YouTube during this process (our server's IP is). YouTube's own data collection applies to your direct use of YouTube.com, not to our server-side fetching.

7. Cookies

We use cookies only where necessary for the service to function. See our Cookie Policy for details.

In brief: free users receive no persistent cookies. Premium users receive a session authentication cookie that expires when you log out or after 30 days of inactivity. We do not use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or analytics cookies.

8. Your rights

8.1 Right to access

You can ask us what data we hold about you. For free users, that is limited to what appears in our server logs, which are deleted after 14 days. For Premium users, it includes your email address and the transaction reference for your plan.

8.2 Right to deletion

You can ask us to delete your data. For free users, server logs delete automatically within 14 days. For Premium users, canceling your subscription and emailing [email protected] will trigger deletion of your account data within 30 days.

8.3 GDPR (EU/EEA users)

If you are in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation including the right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and the right to object. To exercise any of these rights, contact [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

Our lawful basis for processing server logs is legitimate interest (operating a functional web service). Our lawful basis for processing Premium account data is performance of a contract.

8.4 CCPA (California users)

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete it, and the right to opt out of sale. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your rights, contact [email protected].

9. Children's privacy

YTCut is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, contact us at [email protected] and we will delete it promptly.

10. Data security

We use HTTPS for all connections. Our servers are not publicly accessible except through Cloudflare's proxy. Access to server infrastructure is restricted to authorized team members. We do not store payment card data.

No security measure is perfect. We cannot guarantee that our systems will never be breached, and this policy does not create a warranty of security. If a breach occurs that affects your personal data, we will notify affected users as required by applicable law.

11. International data transfers

Our servers are located in the European Union (Hetzner data centers in Germany). If you are accessing the service from outside the EU, your data travels to EU servers. If you are an EU resident using the service, your data stays in the EU except where third-party processors (our payment providers, Cloudflare) operate globally.

12. Changes to this policy

When we update this policy, the updated version will be posted at ytcut.org/privacy with a new effective date at the top. We will not email you about routine changes. For material changes that affect Premium account holders, we will send an email to the address on file.

13. Contact

Privacy questions and data requests go to [email protected]. General questions go to [email protected]. We respond within 48 hours for general inquiries and within 30 days for formal data rights requests.