ToolBox Image — Pourquoi les outils d'images respectueux de la vie privée sont importants pour vos données

Most free online image tools follow the same business model: you upload your files to their server, and they process them in exchange for the right to collect your data. Browser-based image tools offer an alternative where your files never travel over the network.

The server upload problem

When you upload an image to a server, you lose control over it. The server operator can store a copy indefinitely, analyse the image with AI, use it to train ML models, share or sell the data, or lose it in a breach.

How browser-based processing works

A browser-based tool loads the entire application code into your browser. When you drop an image, the file is read into memory using the File API. The processing happens using WebAssembly codecs. The result is written back using the URL.createObjectURL API.

At no point does the file travel over the network. The only network requests are for the initial page load.

What this means for your privacy

Browser-based processing eliminates the most common privacy risks. If there is no server receiving your files, there is no server that can be breached, subpoenaed, or monetised. Your images exist only in your device's memory.

The trade-offs

Browser-based processing is not perfect for every scenario. Large files (over 100 MB) can strain browser memory. Very old devices may not support WebAssembly. But for the vast majority of image editing tasks, browser-based tools are faster, more secure, and more convenient.