Clarification Request: Telemetry, Internet Communications, and Privacy Practices

[bandaid]

Hi @Ross-Patterson,

First, thank you for developing Portals—it's a fantastic tool for organizing desktop files, and I appreciate the open-source approach.

After reviewing the project, including the official website, GitHub repository, and available documentation, I have not been able to find a formal privacy policy or explicit statements addressing the following:

1. Whether Portals collects any form of telemetry (usage data, system information, analytics, etc.).

2. Whether Portals establishes any background network connections (such as update checks or external resource loading) beyond user-initiated actions like visiting links or downloading updates.

3. Confirmation that Portals does not include cloud sync or online services unless explicitly configured by the user.

4. Whether Portals includes any form of backup or versioning mechanisms for files placed within its managed directories, or if this responsibility is entirely on the user.

My current understanding, based on testing and code inspection, is that:

• No telemetry or tracking mechanisms are present.

• No internet communications occur except for user-initiated actions (such as visiting the GitHub page for updates).

• No background services run or persist beyond the application itself.

• Files placed in Portals folders are managed directly by the user, with no built-in backup or versioning—users are responsible for their own backups.

Could you please confirm these points and, if possible, consider adding a formal privacy statement to the repository or website for clarity? A signed release or hash-based verification for binaries would also strengthen trust in the project.

Thank you for your time and for creating such a helpful utility.