Terms of Service

Last updated: 26 July 2026

1. Provider and scope

These Terms govern use of the ShortlistBuddy photo-selection service provided by AJ GmbH, Danziger Str. 80, 65191 Wiesbaden, Germany (“AJ GmbH”, “we”).

The beta is intended exclusively for adult users aged 18 or over. The service must not be operated by or for persons under 18 as users. Photos may depict minors where the adult user is authorised to have them processed.

Any terms of the user apply only if we expressly agree to them in text form.

2. Contract formation and beta status

The user can access these Terms before starting an analysis. A contract for the individual analysis job is formed when the user accepts the Terms and starts the analysis.

ShortlistBuddy is currently provided as a free beta and remains under development. Functions may be changed, restricted or temporarily discontinued. There is no entitlement to continuous availability, specific functions, a particular processing speed or a particular selection result.

Mandatory statutory rights, including rights applicable to free digital services, remain unaffected.

3. Service and AI notice

ShortlistBuddy assists the user in creating a proposed selection from a set of photos. The service uses artificial intelligence, currently including Google’s paid Gemini Developer API.

The AI output is an automated recommendation. It may be incorrect, incomplete, subjective or unsuitable for the intended purpose. ShortlistBuddy does not replace human review. The user must check the proposed selection before using, sharing or deleting any files.

Optionally, the user may find known persons in selected private photos by using reference photos. The feature is intended exclusively for personal or family purposes. The user must be authorised to use all reference photos and gives one collective confirmation for the relevant analysis job.

4. Technical requirements and backups

The user is responsible for a compatible device, an up-to-date browser, a sufficiently stable internet connection and safe storage of the original files.

ShortlistBuddy is not a backup or archiving service. Before analysis and before deleting any file, the user must retain an independent backup of all originals. A proposed selection must never be treated as an automatic deletion approval.

While a job is running — from upload through analysis to downloading the selection — the selected original files must remain available and unchanged in their location. If they are moved, renamed, deleted or edited in the meantime, the browser can no longer read them when the ZIP archive is built. The affected photos are then included only as reduced previews, or not at all; ShortlistBuddy points this out in the results.

Under the described architecture, high-resolution originals remain on the device. If a future feature changes this, the transfer will be clearly disclosed in advance and the Privacy Policy will be updated.

5. Rights in photos and required authority

The user retains all rights in the photos. AJ GmbH does not acquire ownership.

For the duration and purpose of the relevant analysis job, the user grants AJ GmbH a simple, non-exclusive, non-transferable right, geographically limited to the technically required processing, to reproduce and technically process previews and metadata and transmit them to commissioned service providers where necessary to provide the service. The licence ends when processing and technically required short-term retention have ended.

The user represents that the photos are selected and transmitted solely for personal or family purposes and that use does not infringe copyright, personality or other third-party rights. Where a reference photo shows another person, that person—or, where necessary, a person authorised to act for them—must have agreed to the temporary AI-assisted recognition and the technically necessary transfer of reduced images to Google.

One unticked collective confirmation in the reference-photo upload field is sufficient for all reference photos in an analysis job. The user is not required to tick a separate box for each person or obtain or upload written evidence. ShortlistBuddy may rely on the accuracy of the confirmation unless there are specific indications of misuse or lack of authority.

The reference-photo feature must not be used where the user knows or should know that the person objects or that the required agreement is absent. A stated refusal or withdrawal must be respected in future analysis jobs.

6. Prohibited use

Prohibited uses include illegal content; malware; automated mass requests; circumvention of technical safeguards; attacks on the service; professional, commercial or institutional use of the Persons feature; biometric matching without the required agreement; identification of unknown individuals; searching public or third-party image collections; surveillance, tracking, law-enforcement or security purposes; creation of face or person databases; biometric categorisation or emotion recognition; and any use that infringes third-party rights or the terms of our technical providers.

Do not upload identity documents, medical images, intimate content or other highly sensitive images.

We may stop a job, block a transfer or restrict access where there are concrete indications of misuse, security risks or legal violations. Where possible, we will take the user’s interests into account and explain the reason.

7. Data protection

The Privacy Policy explains processing of personal data, reference photos, Google and possible Google retention for up to 55 days. AJ GmbH processes selected photo and reference content solely on the user’s instructions; AJ GmbH is the controller for its own website, security, support and contractual data.

The following data-processing terms apply to the extent that AJ GmbH processes photo and reference content on the user’s behalf. Optional consent, for example for geocoding or marketing, remains separate and may be refused or withdrawn.

7.1 Supplementary terms for processing photo and reference content

Subject matter and duration: The selected previews, reference photos, required metadata and analysis results are processed for a specific job. Processing begins when the job starts and ends after analysis and technically unavoidable short-term retention; any different Google retention is described in the Privacy Policy.

Nature and purpose: Reduction, transmission, automated quality and subject analysis and, where the Persons feature is used, temporary facial matching to recognise a person specified by the user in the selected private photos.

Data and data subjects: Image content, facial features, capture metadata and technical job data relating to users and to family members, friends and other persons shown in the selected private photos.

Instructions and user obligations: The user gives documented instructions by selecting the photos, setting criteria, giving the collective confirmation and starting the analysis. The user must not give unlawful instructions and must inform AJ GmbH if previous authority or agreement ceases for future jobs.

AJ GmbH obligations: We process content only on documented instructions, bind authorised personnel to confidentiality, implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures, provide technically possible assistance with privacy requests and incidents, and delete content in accordance with these terms and the Privacy Policy.

Subprocessors: The user grants general authorisation for the providers named in the Privacy Policy and a permanently available subprocessor list, in particular Google for AI analysis and Vercel for hosting and security functions. Material changes will be published for future jobs. A user who objects must not start new analysis jobs after the change.

Evidence and review: AJ GmbH will provide legally required information about safeguards and subprocessors. Individual on-site audits are permitted only where legally required and not reasonably replaceable by suitable certificates, audit reports or documentation.

8. Availability, changes and discontinuation

We aim to operate the service reliably but do not promise a specific availability level for the free beta. Maintenance, security measures, failures of internet, hosting or AI services, and force majeure may cause interruptions.

We may modify functions for an objective reason, including security, legal changes, technical development, provider changes or prevention of misuse. Changes must not unreasonably disadvantage the user.

We may discontinue the free beta at any time for the future. Completed local downloads remain unaffected. As no permanent account or photo archive is owed, there is no right to data migration.

9. Liability

We have unlimited liability for intent and gross negligence, culpable injury to life, body or health, liability under the German Product Liability Act, fraudulent concealment, expressly assumed guarantees and all other cases of mandatory statutory liability.

For a slightly negligent breach of an essential contractual duty, liability is limited to the foreseeable loss typical for the contract at the time it was concluded. Essential duties are those whose performance is necessary for proper performance of the contract and on whose fulfilment the user may regularly rely.

Liability for a slightly negligent breach of non-essential duties is excluded.

To the extent permitted by law and subject to the paragraphs above, we are not liable for loss caused by the user’s failure to retain a reasonable backup, unreviewed reliance on an AI proposal or deletion of files outside ShortlistBuddy. This does not apply where the missing backup did not cause the loss or a backup was unreasonable.

The limitations also apply for the benefit of our legal representatives, employees and agents.

10. Indemnity for unlawful user content

If the user culpably infringes third-party rights or applicable law and a third party asserts a claim against us, the user will indemnify us against justified claims and necessary reasonable defence costs. This does not apply where the user is not responsible for the breach. We will promptly inform the user and, where legally and practically possible, allow participation in the defence.

11. Governing law and jurisdiction

German law applies, excluding the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods. If the user is a consumer habitually resident in another country, mandatory consumer-protection rules of that country remain unaffected.

Statutory places of jurisdiction apply to consumers. For merchants, legal entities under public law and special funds under public law, Wiesbaden is the exclusive place of jurisdiction to the extent permitted by law.

12. Consumer dispute resolution

We are neither willing nor obliged to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board.

13. Contract language and English translation

The contract language is German. The English version is provided for information. In the event of inconsistency, the German version prevails to the extent legally permissible in relation to the relevant user and subject to mandatory consumer-protection law.

14. Final provisions

If any provision is wholly or partly invalid, the remaining provisions remain effective. Statutory law applies in place of the invalid provision.

The current version is available on the website. Amendments apply only to future analysis jobs unless mandatory law requires otherwise.