Scope
OpenHCS is an open-source bioimage-analysis project maintained by OpenHCS contributors. This policy covers this public project website and information voluntarily included in support requests.
It does not govern ChatGPT or other OpenAI services, GitHub, PyPI, Read the Docs, Google Fonts, or other linked services. Those providers apply their own privacy terms. Local OpenHCS runs on the user's computer and is not made remotely accessible by visiting this website.
Website data
The OpenHCS website source does not provide user accounts, contact forms, application analytics, advertising trackers, or an OpenHCS cookie. The hosting and network providers may process ordinary request metadata such as IP address, timestamp, requested page, browser type, and security logs as part of serving the site.
Pages currently request font files from Google Fonts, so a visitor's browser may send ordinary request metadata to Google. Following an external link sends the visitor to the named third-party service.
Local software and MCP clients
The OpenHCS desktop application and local MCP server run on the user's computer. The project website does not receive local files, prompts, pipeline definitions, execution results, or microscopy data merely because OpenHCS is installed or connected to a local client.
ChatGPT desktop, Codex, Claude Desktop, and other local MCP clients apply their own privacy and data-handling terms. Configure only the readable and writable directories required for the analysis and do not include credentials or sensitive data in public support reports.
What the website does not access
- Files, folders, images, or microscopy datasets on the user's computer.
- The local OpenHCS GUI, Plate Manager, pipeline editor, Napari, or Fiji.
- Local pipeline execution, viewers, or other processes on the user's machine.
- Write operations or arbitrary host paths.
Do not place confidential, patient-identifiable, protected-health, or other regulated data into public issues or support requests.
Your choices
Visiting the website does not require an OpenHCS account. Browser controls can restrict cookies, external fonts, and other third-party requests. Local MCP access can be stopped by disabling or removing the OpenHCS server in the connected client.
Contact
For a privacy question, contact the OpenHCS maintainer at tristan.simas@mail.mcgill.ca. Do not send microscopy data, access tokens, credentials, or sensitive personal information by email.
For ordinary product support, use the OpenHCS support page.