Privacy Policy
Last updated November 9, 2026
The short version. Tax returns you load into Blindfold are read and anonymized inside your browser. Their contents are never sent to us. We keep only what we need to run your firm's account: who your preparers are, your subscription, and an audit log that holds counts and reference codes with no client details.
Who this policy covers
Blindfold is a VAIC product ("Blindfold", "we", "us"). This policy covers the Blindfold website and the Blindfold app. It applies to firms that subscribe, the preparers they add, and people who visit the site or request a demo.
What stays on your computer
These never reach our servers:
- The documents you load. PDFs, scans, photos and pasted text are read in your browser's memory, including OCR, and are cleared when you close or reload the tab.
- What was removed. Names, Social Security numbers, addresses, account numbers and every other value Blindfold replaces.
- The clean copy. It goes only where you paste it.
- The re-identification key. It exists in your browser until you close the tab. If you lock it with a passphrase, the locked key is yours to store. We never see the key or the passphrase.
What we collect
| Information | Why we have it |
|---|---|
| Firm account Firm name, the admin's name and email | To create and manage your firm's account |
| Preparers Name and work email of each person your admin adds | To send sign-in links and assign seats |
| Subscription Plan, seat count, billing status, renewal date, Stripe customer reference | To give access to paid seats and keep billing accurate |
| Audit log Preparer, time, reference code, document fingerprint, source type, form types found, counts of items removed, manual edits, flags left, and whether review was confirmed | To give your firm a record of each release for its own security documentation |
| Sign-in One-time sign-in links and a session cookie | To keep you signed in. We don't use passwords. |
| Demo requests Name, work email, firm name, number of preparers | To reply and schedule a demo |
| Server logs IP address, browser type, pages requested | To run and secure the site |
The document fingerprint is a short one-way code computed in your browser. It lets your firm match a log entry to a document it already holds. It cannot be turned back into the document.
We do not collect payment card numbers. Stripe collects and processes them.
Cookies and browser storage
We use one essential cookie to keep you signed in. The site also saves a few display preferences in your browser, such as your last seat-count selection and option toggles. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.
Who helps us run Blindfold
We share information only with the providers that operate parts of the service:
- Vercel hosts the site and stores account records and audit logs in the United States.
- Stripe processes payments and holds billing details.
- Our email provider delivers sign-in links and account notices.
- Google Fonts serves the typefaces the pages use, which means your browser requests font files from Google.
We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it for advertising. We may disclose information if the law requires it, or as part of a merger or sale of the product, in which case this policy continues to apply to information already collected.
AI tools you choose to use
Blindfold does not send anything to AI providers. When you paste a clean copy into Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot or another tool, that provider's own terms and privacy policy apply to what you paste.
How long we keep information
- Account and audit records: for as long as your firm has an account. After cancellation they remain available to your firm's admin for export, and we delete them when your firm asks.
- Preparers: when an admin removes a preparer, that person loses access. Their past audit log entries stay with the firm's log.
- Demo requests: until the conversation is finished or you ask us to delete them.
Your choices
Firm admins can add and remove preparers, export the audit log and manage billing from the firm page. Anyone can ask us for a copy of the personal information we hold about them, or ask us to correct or delete it. We'll respond within 30 days. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under state privacy law.
Security
The strongest protection is the design: client documents are never uploaded. For the account information we do hold, connections are encrypted, sign-in uses one-time links, and access to stored records is restricted. No online service can promise perfect security, and we'll notify affected firms without undue delay if we learn of a breach involving their account information.
Children
Blindfold is a business tool and is not directed to children under 16.
Changes and contact
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we'll update the date above and tell firm admins by email. Questions and requests can be sent through the contact form.