Virtual try-on and shopper privacy: what to ask an app
Shopper photos are personal data. Seven questions to ask any virtual try-on app about storage, training, screening and deletion before you install it.
The Mirava team 2 min read
A virtual try-on asks shoppers for something few other store features do: a photo of themselves. That photo is personal data, and in many places a photo of a face is treated with extra care. Before you add try-on to your store, it’s worth asking the app a few direct questions.
1. How long are photos kept?
The shorter the better. A try-on photo is needed for the generation and for the shopper to view the result. After that, keeping it only creates risk. Look for automatic deletion within hours or days, not “until you delete it”.
2. Are photos used to train AI models?
Shoppers upload a photo to see a product, not to improve someone’s model. The answer should be a clear no, written in the privacy policy.
3. Is location data removed?
Phone photos often carry EXIF metadata, including GPS coordinates of where the photo was taken. A careful app strips it, ideally in the shopper’s browser before the photo is sent.
4. What does the shopper agree to?
Shoppers should see a short consent text before uploading: what happens to the photo and for how long. Asking them to confirm they are an adult is also sensible, since try-on is not meant for minors.
5. How are unsuitable photos handled?
People will upload anything: group photos, screenshots, photos of children, explicit images. An app should screen uploads and reject them before generation. Check that rejections are handled kindly. A shopper should never be told something like “you look underage”.
6. What customer data does the app keep?
To measure sales, a try-on app needs to know which orders included a tried-on product. It doesn’t need the customer’s name, email or address to do that. Ask what is stored from orders.
7. Does it handle Shopify’s privacy webhooks?
Shopify sends apps requests when a customer asks for their data or asks to be deleted, and when a store uninstalls. Every App Store app must handle them. Ask how, and how quickly, the data is deleted.
How Mirava answers
- Photos and results are deleted within 24 hours, even when a shopper reuses a photo.
- Photos are never used for training.
- EXIF data is removed in the browser before upload.
- Shoppers tick a consent box and confirm they are 18 or older.
- Uploads are screened; minors and nudity share one neutral message.
- No customer names or emails are stored from orders.
- Shopify’s privacy webhooks are processed automatically.
The details are in our privacy policy. For the bigger picture on choosing an app, see what AI virtual try-on is.