Biometric Data Notice & Retention Policy

Last updated: October 11, 2026

Why this notice exists

The Writers Lounge, the community area of the AYCM Manuscript apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android, is for adults 18 and older. To confirm a member's age, we may ask for a selfie, and, only if the member chooses it, a photo of a government ID. A selfie can be used to measure the geometry of a face, which some laws treat as "biometric" information. This notice explains what is collected, why, who handles it, how long it's kept, and how it's destroyed.

Who we are

AYCM, LLC ("AYCM", "we") operates AYCM Manuscript. For age verification we use Didit (Didit Identity, Inc.), a verification company that processes this information on our behalf and under our instructions.

What is collected, and only if you agree

Nothing on this list is collected until you check the box on our "Verify your age" screen.

• A selfie taken with your phone's or tablet's camera, in the app, or in your phone's web browser if you start the check on a Mac. It is used to estimate your age and to confirm it's a live photo of a real person.
• Face geometry that Didit's systems measure from the selfie to make that estimate. This is temporary.
• Only if you choose to verify with an ID: a photo of your government ID, and a comparison between your ID photo and your selfie.

Why it's collected

For one purpose only: to confirm that you are 18 or older before you join the Writers Lounge. It is never used to identify you for any other reason, to build a profile of you, to target ads, or for anything else.

What we keep

AYCM keeps only the result:

• whether you are 18 or older;
• how it was confirmed (a selfie, an ID, or a review by our team);
• the date;
• a reference number from Didit;
• which version of the consent wording you agreed to, and when;
• if Apple or Google shares an age range with the app, what it says (for example, under 18 or an adult).

We never receive or keep your selfie, your ID image, your face geometry, the name, number or birth date on your ID, or any copy of them.

How long Didit keeps it, and how it's destroyed

• As soon as the result is sent to us, we instruct Didit to permanently delete the selfie, any ID images, and all face geometry for that check. In normal cases this happens within minutes.
• If a check needs a person to look at it ("In Review"), it is kept until that review is finished, which we aim to do within 5 business days, and then deleted the same way.
• As a backstop, our Didit account is set to delete any check after 30 days at the most, even if something goes wrong with the steps above.
• We have instructed Didit not to keep face templates and not to search faces across other checks.
• For questions about how Didit handles your data, contact Didit at privacy@didit.me.
• In no case is biometric information kept longer than the law allows. It is always destroyed once the purpose above is complete, and never more than 30 days after the check.

Who it's shared with

Only Didit, and the service providers Didit uses to run its service, such as cloud hosting. We can share the list of those providers on request. Didit processes this information on servers in the European Union.

We do not sell, lease, trade, or otherwise profit from biometric information, and we don't disclose it to anyone else unless the law requires it.

How it's protected

The information is encrypted in transit and at rest, access is restricted, and we keep only the result described above.

Your choices

• Verifying is optional. You can keep using every other part of AYCM Manuscript without it.
• If the selfie can't confirm your age, using an ID is your choice.
• You can ask us to delete anything related to your age check, or ask questions, at support@aycmmanuscript.com.
• You can also read Didit's Verification Privacy Notice and its End User Terms.

Changes

If we change this notice, we'll update the date above. If a change affects how biometric information is used, we'll ask for your consent again before your next check.

See also our Privacy Policy and Age & Safety page.