1. Who we are

ESPVerse is a web platform for discovering, publishing, sharing, and flashing ESP32 firmware projects. In this policy, “ESPVerse”, “we”, “us”, and “our” refer to the operator of the ESPVerse website and related services.

Contact: support@espverse.com.

2. Information we collect

We collect information you provide directly, such as account name, email address, password hash, developer profile details, project descriptions, board metadata, firmware version information, uploaded images, private sharing settings, reviews, ratings, support messages, and API key labels.

When firmware is uploaded or flashed, we may process firmware filenames, checksums, build metadata, target board, version, file size, flash offset, launch count, download or flash event timestamps, browser/device information, IP address, user agent, and security logs.

We may collect limited technical information automatically through cookies, server logs, local storage, and similar technologies needed for sessions, preferences, abuse prevention, diagnostics, and security.

3. Public content

Developer profiles, display names, public social links, public projects, board listings, firmware metadata, reviews, ratings, and project media may be visible to visitors. Do not publish personal information, secrets, credentials, private keys, proprietary firmware, or content you do not have permission to share.

Developer email addresses are used for account, security, moderation, and platform communications. We should not display your email publicly unless you choose to publish it in your profile, project text, or support contact details.

4. How we use information

We use information to create and secure accounts, authenticate developers, publish firmware projects, generate web flasher manifests, provide private access, count launches, show ratings and reviews, operate search, process API uploads, communicate about accounts or moderation, respond to support requests, prevent abuse, investigate security issues, and comply with legal obligations.

5. Legal bases where required

Where laws such as GDPR or UK GDPR apply, we rely on lawful bases including performance of a contract for account and platform services, legitimate interests for security and service improvement, consent where required for optional cookies or marketing, and legal obligation where we must retain or disclose information to comply with law.

6. Cookies and local storage

ESPVerse uses essential cookies for login sessions, security, and consent state. We also use local browser storage to remember preferences such as terminology mode and serial console visibility. Optional analytics or marketing cookies should not be enabled unless disclosed here and, where required, consent is collected.

7. Sharing and service providers

We may share information with service providers that help host the site, store firmware and images, deliver email, secure the service, analyze reliability, manage databases, or process support requests. These providers may process information only as needed to provide services to ESPVerse.

We may disclose information if required by law, to protect users or devices, to investigate abuse, to enforce our terms, during a business transfer, or with your direction, such as when you publish public profile or project content.

8. International transfers

ESPVerse may use infrastructure and service providers located in different countries. If applicable law requires transfer safeguards, we should use appropriate mechanisms such as contractual protections, adequacy decisions, or similar safeguards.

9. Retention

We keep account information while your account is active. Public project and review content may remain visible until removed by you or ESPVerse. Security logs, API logs, and launch events may be retained for a limited period for abuse prevention, audits, and reliability. Firmware files may be retained while a project/version is published, shared privately, archived for rollback, or needed for safety and moderation review.

10. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures such as hashed passwords, access controls, HTTPS, API key handling, file validation, logging, and least-privilege storage access. No online service is perfectly secure. Developers should not upload secrets, private signing keys, Wi-Fi credentials, tokens, or personal data inside firmware images unless they fully understand the risk.

11. Your choices and rights

You may request access, correction, deletion, export, restriction, or objection where those rights apply. You may update profile and project information from your account area, remove optional public profile details, revoke API keys, and change cookie or terminology preferences in Settings.

Depending on your location, you may have additional rights. EU/UK users may have rights under GDPR or UK GDPR. California residents may have rights under California privacy law, including rights to know, delete, correct, and opt out of certain sharing or sale of personal information. ESPVerse does not intend to sell personal information.

12. Children

ESPVerse is intended for developers and device owners who can safely work with firmware and hardware. It is not directed to children under the age required by applicable law. If we learn that a child provided personal information without required consent, we will take appropriate steps to remove it.

13. Firmware and device data

The browser flasher may interact with a connected device through Web Serial. ESPVerse should only receive the information needed to operate the flasher, count launches, diagnose failures, or process logs you choose to share. Serial console output may contain sensitive device information, so review logs before sharing them publicly.

14. Changes

We may update this policy as ESPVerse changes. Material changes should be announced through the website, email, or account notices where appropriate. The “Last updated” date shows when this page was last revised.

15. Contact

For privacy requests, abuse reports, copyright concerns, unsafe firmware reports, or other enquiries, contact support@espverse.com.