ZeroTrace — Privacy Policy

Last updated: 21 June 2026 Effective: 21 June 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how ZeroTrace Uninstaller ("ZeroTrace", "the App", "we", "us", "our") handles information. It applies to the desktop application distributed for Microsoft Windows and to the website at https://zerotraceuninstaller.com (the "Site").

ZeroTrace is published by Raj Singha, trading as "Aridya Technologies" (the "Publisher"), based in the Republic of India. For privacy matters, the Publisher is the data controller.

The short version: Everything ZeroTrace does with your system — scanning, diffing, quarantine, cleanup, logging — happens on your computer. The App connects to our service for three narrow purposes: to load its configuration, to check for and download updates, and to send anonymous usage & reliability telemetry. That telemetry is tied to a random install identifier (no account, no name) and records each program you uninstall and how it turned out; if an uninstall fails or is rolled back, ZeroTrace uploads a diagnostic log of that run with your user-account name and personal identifiers removed. It never sends the contents of your files, your documents, or the full list of programs on your PC, and you can turn it off. ZeroTrace contains no advertising, no bundled software, and no third-party advertising or analytics SDKs. The App is currently provided free of charge.

1. Our privacy principles

ZeroTrace is a system-maintenance utility for a security-conscious audience, and it is built to the same standard it asks of you:

1. Local-first for your content. Scanning, diffing, quarantine, cleanup and logging happen on your device. The App transmits only the limited, anonymous telemetry in Section 4(c) — the name and result of a program you uninstall, and (if a removal fails) a privacy-scrubbed diagnostic log — and never the contents of your files or the full inventory of your PC. You can opt out.
2. Minimal, disclosed network use. The App talks to our service only to fetch its configuration and to check for / download updates (Section 4). Nothing about your system's contents is included in those requests.
3. No advertising, no profiling. No advertising SDKs, no ad identifiers, no fingerprinting, no third-party analytics SDKs, and no selling of personal data. We do not build advertising or behavioural profiles of you.
4. Data minimisation. ZeroTrace stores only what it needs to work safely and to let you undo actions (for example, quarantine backups). Quarantine backups are pruned automatically after a retention period (by default, 30 days), and you can delete any stored data manually at any time.
5. Transparency. This document describes every category of data the App touches and every network connection it makes.

2. Information we do not collect

For a cleanup tool, the absence of collection is a feature. ZeroTrace does not:

• collect your name, email address, phone number, or contact details through the App;
• collect or transmit the full list of applications installed on your computer (only the name of a program you actually choose to uninstall is recorded, anonymously — see Section 4(c));
• collect or transmit the contents of your files, documents, passwords, or browser data, or the files/registry keys ZeroTrace scans, displays, quarantines, or removes — except that a failed or rolled-back uninstall uploads a privacy-scrubbed diagnostic log that contains the paths and names (never the contents) of the items that run touched (Section 4(c));
• include any third-party advertising or analytics SDK, advertising identifier, or cross-app/cross-site tracking;
• use cookies in the App, or device fingerprinting;
• sell, rent, or "share" (as defined under the CCPA/CPRA) your personal information; or
• include third-party advertising, bundled software ("bundleware"), or promotional offers.

What this means in practice: the contents of your files and the substance of your data never leave your machine. The only data our servers receive is the connection metadata in Section 4 and the limited, anonymous, opt-out telemetry in Section 4(c).

3. Information processed on your device

To function, ZeroTrace reads and writes data locally on your computer. This data is never transmitted to us. It includes:

What the logs contain — and do not. Logs record what action was taken on which target (for example, "quarantined a registry value", "sent a folder to the Recycle Bin") with a per-run correlation id and outcome. They do not contain the contents of your files, your documents, your passwords, or any personal payload — only the names of the items acted on and the operation results. They are written to your disk and, in normal use, are not transmitted; only when an uninstall or force-uninstall fails or is rolled back does ZeroTrace upload a privacy-scrubbed extract of that run's log for diagnostics (your user-account and machine names removed) — see Section 4(c).

This data is stored in ZeroTrace's own local application-data folder on your computer. Uninstalling ZeroTrace removes this working data: the clean-uninstall step deletes that folder (quarantine backups, the trace database, pending state, cached configuration, and logs). A version-to-version update preserves it.

4. Network connections: configuration and updates

ZeroTrace makes network requests for the narrow purposes below. The configuration and update requests (a)–(b) include nothing about your system's contents; the anonymous telemetry (c) includes only the limited data described there, and you can turn it off.

(a) Application configuration. On launch (when online), ZeroTrace fetches a small, digitally signed configuration file from our service at https://zerotraceuninstaller.com. It controls non-sensitive settings such as which optional features are enabled, the current version information, and the links shown in the App (privacy policy, support, etc.). If the request fails or you are offline, ZeroTrace uses the configuration it shipped with or last cached, and keeps working normally.

(b) Update check and download. ZeroTrace can check whether a newer signed version is available and, if so, offer to download it. For copies obtained from the Microsoft Store, updates are handled by the Store. For copies obtained from our website, the check and download are served by our service / content host over HTTPS.

What these requests include. Like any internet request, they necessarily reveal to the receiving server your device's IP address, a generic user-agent, and — so we can return the correct configuration and update — the ZeroTrace version, your Windows version, and your language/region. We use this only to deliver configuration and updates and to keep the service secure and reliable (for example, standard server request logs). We do not use it to identify you, to build a profile, or for advertising, and we do not sell or share it.

Hosting. Our Site and service are hosted by reputable cloud/CDN providers acting as our processors; they may process connection metadata (such as IP address and request logs) on our behalf for security and operations. Update downloads and the website are served over HTTPS by the respective host.

(c) Anonymous usage & reliability telemetry. To understand how ZeroTrace performs on real machines and to fix failures, the App sends anonymous telemetry tied to a random install identifier generated on your device — not your name, account, email, or any hardware id:

• Install ping — once a day, that the install is active (with the app and Windows version).
• Uninstall events — for each program you uninstall or force-uninstall (including batch and Microsoft Store / UWP removals): the program's name, publisher and version, the action and outcome (e.g. removed, still-present, failed, rolled-back, needs-restart), and the analysis context below. We do not send the rest of your installed-program list.
• Failure diagnostics — only if an uninstall or force-uninstall fails or is rolled back, ZeroTrace uploads that run's application log, after removing personal identifiers on your device first: your Windows user-account name and machine name are stripped (so C:\Users\<you>\… becomes C:\Users\<user>\…). The log keeps the paths and names of the items that run touched and the error details — never the contents of any file, document, or registry value. It is stored privately and is not publicly accessible.
• App crash reports — if ZeroTrace hits an unexpected error (an unhandled exception), it records the error details and the recent application log for that session, scrubbed on your device in exactly the same way (user-account and machine name removed; paths and structure kept; never file or registry contents). Because a crash may be closing the app, the report is saved locally and sent the next time you start ZeroTrace (and dropped unsent if you have since opted out). This is what lets us find and fix crashes we can't reproduce on your machine. Stored privately, same as failure diagnostics.

Each record also carries, for analysis: the time (with your time zone and UTC offset), the ZeroTrace and Windows version (build and architecture), your language/region, and — derived by our server from your request IP address, which is not stored — your country/region. There is no name, email, account, advertising id, or device fingerprint, and we do not attempt to re-identify you.

You can turn this off. Telemetry is disabled automatically in development/local builds. In a release build you can opt out at any time from Settings → General → "Share anonymous usage data" (which writes a telemetry-opt-out marker in ZeroTrace's local data folder; you may also create that file yourself). Opting out disables all telemetry — the install ping, uninstall events, failure logs, and crash reports. Telemetry records and uploaded failure/crash logs are retained for 90 days and then deleted automatically.

ZeroTrace's core functions — uninstalling, cleaning, quarantine and restore — work fully offline; the network is used only for the configuration, update, and telemetry purposes above.

5. Distribution channels

If you obtained ZeroTrace through the Microsoft Store, your acquisition, download, payment (if any), and updates are handled by Microsoft under the Microsoft Privacy Statement and the Microsoft Store Terms of Sale. We receive only the aggregate, non-identifying information the Store dashboard provides to developers (for example, total download or rating counts); we do not receive your identity from the Store.

If you obtained ZeroTrace directly from https://zerotraceuninstaller.com, the download is served over HTTPS by our hosting/CDN provider, which may log standard request metadata such as IP address for security and operational purposes.

6. Pricing and future changes

ZeroTrace is currently offered free of charge. We may introduce paid features or editions in the future. If we do, any payment would be processed by the Microsoft Store or a third-party payment processor under their own terms — we would not receive or store your full payment-card details — and we would update this Policy to describe any additional data involved (for example, a licence key or account) before those features take effect.

7. Legal bases for processing (GDPR / UK GDPR)

For the limited connection metadata our service receives (Section 4), the Publisher acts as controller and relies on:

• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) — delivering the App's configuration and updates and keeping the service secure and reliable; and
• Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) — providing the software functionality you chose to run, including update delivery.

The local processing the App performs on your own device, at your instruction, is carried out by you as the operator of your own computer. We do not carry out profiling or automated decision-making that produces legal effects, and the App transmits no special-category data.

8. Your rights

Most of your ZeroTrace data lives only on your own device, so you already have direct and complete control:

• Access / portability: all local ZeroTrace data lives in ZeroTrace's local application-data folder on your computer and can be inspected or copied directly.
• Erasure: delete any quarantine item, trace, or log in the App, delete ZeroTrace's local data folder, or uninstall the App to remove it all.

For the limited connection metadata our service processes, and depending on where you live, you may have statutory rights under laws such as the GDPR (EU/EEA), the UK GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the CPRA (CCPA/CPRA), Canada's PIPEDA, Australia's Privacy Act, or India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — including access, correction, deletion, and objection. We do not sell or "share" personal information (as defined under the CCPA/CPRA) and have not done so in the preceding twelve months. To exercise a right or ask a question, contact us (Section 12); we will respond within the time required by applicable law. You may also lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority.

9. Children's privacy

ZeroTrace is a general-purpose system utility intended for adults administering their own computers. It is not directed at children and does not knowingly collect information from children. The App contains no social features or user accounts.

10. Data security

ZeroTrace is designed to fail safe:

• Your scanned/removed content stays on your device; there is no transmission of it to intercept.
• Removals are reversible — ZeroTrace backs items up to quarantine before removing the original and records a restorable manifest — so an unwanted change can be undone.
• ZeroTrace's local snapshot/trace database is encrypted at rest with a key tied to your Windows user account, and ZeroTrace's local data folder is access-restricted to your account — so its contents are not readable by other users of the machine or from another operating system.
• Quarantine backups are kept only as long as needed: they are pruned automatically after a retention period (by default, 30 days), and you can delete them sooner from the Quarantine browser.
• The configuration ZeroTrace loads is digitally signed and verified, and update binaries and the installer are code-signed, so Windows can verify they came from us and were not tampered with. Network requests use HTTPS.
• The security of your local data ultimately depends on your own device and Windows account; we recommend standard precautions (account password, disk encryption, up-to-date OS).

No method is perfectly secure, but because the substance of your data never leaves your machine, the attack surface for your privacy is limited largely to your own device.

11. International users

The App processes your content only on your local device, wherever you are located. The configuration and update connections (Section 4) reach our hosting/CDN provider's globally distributed infrastructure; any resulting transfer of connection metadata is made under appropriate safeguards and the relevant providers' terms.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in the App or in legal requirements. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above and post the new version at https://zerotraceuninstaller.com. Material changes will be highlighted in the release notes. Your continued use of the App after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact us

For any privacy question, request, or concern:

• Publisher: Raj Singha, trading as Aridya Technologies
• Email: privacy@zerotraceuninstaller.com
• Region: Republic of India

We aim to respond to all legitimate requests within 30 days, or sooner where the law requires.

This document is provided in good faith and is intended to be accurate and complete. It does not constitute legal advice. Aridya Technologies will have this policy reviewed by qualified counsel prior to commercial release; if you are relying on it for your own compliance, seek independent advice.