Privacy
Policy

Who we are

Aether is a peer-to-peer file transfer application developed and maintained independently. You can contact us at aethertransfersupport@gmail.com.

What data we collect

We collect no personal data whatsoever. Specifically:

• We do not collect your name, email address, or any account information — no account is required to use Aether.
• We do not collect the files you send or receive. File data travels directly between devices using peer-to-peer protocols (WebRTC and WebTorrent) and never passes through our servers.
• We do not log your IP address, device name, or location.
• We do not use analytics, tracking pixels, or any telemetry.
• We do not use cookies of any kind.
• We do not sell, rent, or share any data with third parties — there is no data to share.

How transfers work

Aether uses the following technologies to establish connections between devices:

• mDNS (Multicast DNS) — used to discover other Aether devices on the same local network. This operates entirely within your local network and no data leaves it.
• PeerJS signalling server (0.peerjs.com) — used only to exchange connection metadata (ICE candidates) when connecting devices on different networks. This server never receives your files — only the technical handshake data needed to establish a direct connection.
• WebRTC — once connected, file data is transferred directly between devices using WebRTC data channels, encrypted with DTLS-SRTP.
• WebTorrent — for files over 5MB, WebTorrent is used for chunked, verified peer-to-peer transfer over WebRTC. No third-party torrent trackers are used.
• TURN relay servers (openrelay.metered.ca) — used as a fallback when direct peer-to-peer connection cannot be established due to network restrictions. TURN servers relay encrypted connection traffic but cannot decrypt the file data.

Encryption

All transfers are encrypted:

• LAN transfers use AES-256-GCM encryption with session keys derived locally on each device. Keys are never transmitted.
• Online transfers use DTLS-SRTP encryption built into the WebRTC protocol — the same standard used by video calling applications.

Local storage

Aether stores the following data locally on your device only:

• Your appearance preferences (wallpaper selection, accent colour, theme settings)
• Your transfer history (file names, sizes, timestamps — stored only on your device)
• Your chosen device name

This data is stored locally in your application data folder and is never transmitted anywhere.

Third-party services

Aether uses the following third-party services solely to enable connectivity:

• PeerJS (peerjs.com) — open-source WebRTC signalling. Their privacy policy is at peerjs.com.
• OpenRelay TURN servers (metered.ca) — WebRTC relay fallback. Their privacy policy is at metered.ca.

Neither service receives your file data. They are used only for network connection establishment.

Children's privacy

Aether does not knowingly collect any information from children under the age of 13. Since we collect no personal data from any user, this applies equally to all users regardless of age.

Changes to this policy

If we make changes to this privacy policy, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of Aether after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Your rights

Since we collect no personal data, there is nothing to access, correct, export, or delete. If you have questions about your data or this policy, contact us at the address below.