Meet the OPTF
Policies and legals
The OPTF has multiple projects which it manages and supports. We hold high expectations for all employees and partners of the OPTF.
Our team is committed to maintaining the highest standards when it comes to ethical behaviour, honesty and integrity. We pride ourselves in ensuring our workplace and the spaces we communicate and work in are free from discrimniation, abuse or harassment of any kind. We’re careful to ensure our actions don’t result in harm, or propagate disinformation or hate.
The motivation behind what we have built is for the benefit and progress of humanity and our work is underpinned by the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). However we recognise our technologies could also be used by those who seek to undermine those values. While we promote and defend diversity of opinion and freedom of expression, OPTF has a zero-tolerance policy towards those who undermine the principles of the UDHR, or are involved in or assist the activities of violent and extremist individuals and organizations, child sexual exploitation or the exploitation of anyone, or participate in creating, maintaining or promoting platforms that provides space for hate speech and violent content that attacks another group especially on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation.
We also have three main development projects are Session, Oxen, and Lokinet — each of their privacy policies are outlined below.
Session privacy policy
View the privacy policy on the Session website.
Session is underpinned by our privacy principles that intend to protect and defend your personal identity and information and the privacy of your communications at all times.
1.0 Session App
The Session App is designed to never know who you are, who you are talking to, or the contents of your communications (text messages, audio, video, images).
The Session App does not collect or share your information. That’s our policy in a nutshell.
The Session App or its associated software doesn’t store any identifying information about your device, such as your IP address or your user agent (browser, device type). We don’t store or collect any information which could be used to track you.
This means we don’t need your phone number, e-mail, or any information tied to your real identity to create a Session account. There are no special settings you need to set to be private. Session is preservices your privacy by default.
2.0 Session Website
The Session Website never attempts to link your usage of the website to your real identity or create a user profile based on your activity.
The Session Website features an opt-in form that lets you subscribe to our email newsletter that is operated using the third party Campaign Monitor email newsletter platform. If you choose to subscribe, your e-mail will be stored by Campaign Monitor, under their Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. However, if you unsubscribe from our mailing list, your email will be deleted.
To ensure that the opt-in form works effectively, a small cookie is used. The form is embedded into WordPress – the platform we use to manage the website, and it is not possible to disable this cookie. This cookie (fca_eoi_pagecount) is not used by us to track your use of the Session website or other websites, or to track your online activities in any way.
We will never share or sell your personal details, including your email address, and will only use your email address to communicate our newsletters with you.
We use Cloudflare services in order to serve the Session website. Cloudflare keeps logs about web requests for the Session website, which can be stored for up to 7 days.
3.0 Other Privacy Issues
You should be aware that the Google Play and the App Store may collect information and share information about you when you download Session for your Android or iOS device.
To download Session as privately as possible, it is recommended that you utilise a privacy-preserving VPN or download Session from platforms that do not keep user analytic data.
If you use Session on your Android or iOS phone, Google or Apple might store information about how you use the app. They may record when the app is closed, opened, how long you use it for, crash logs, and your device model. This user analytics data could also be associated with your Google or Apple account, and it is shared with us through the app store dashboard. This is a limitation of mobile operating systems, and applies to all apps used on your device. We do not share any of your information with Apple and Google, and any analytics data that is shared with us is not sold or shared with anyone else. If required, please read the Apple or Google’s privacy policies. If you’re using iOS, check out Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines. For Android, read the User Data section of Google’s Developer Policy Center.
Any more questions?
This is the way the Session app and website treat your privacy. If you would like more information, have suggestions about how we can better protect your privacy, or just want to say hello — please send us an email at team@oxen.io.
Lokinet privacy policy
Read the privacy policy on the Lokinet website.
Lokinet never knows who you are or what websites you visit.
Lokinet App
We are mission-driven to protect your privacy.
Lokinet is designed so that it doesn’t access, create, or store any information which could be used to identify or track you. Lokinet doesn’t store any identifying information about your device or connection, such as your IP address.
There is no registration process for Lokinet. You don’t need a phone number, email, or any information tied to your real identity to use Lokinet. We did this so that you’ll know you’re private and anonymous whenever you use Lokinet.
We don’t have control over what services you access using Lokinet. They may attempt to track or log information about you. For more information, it is important that you refer to the privacy policy of the service you are accessing.
Using Lokinet on a MacOS or Windows device
If you use Lokinet on your macOS or Windows computer, Apple or Microsoft might store information about how you use the app.
MacOS analytics and Windows diagnostic data collection may record app crashes or usage information, depending on your personal operating system settings. This is a feature of these operating systems and applies to any software you use. Lokinet itself never records stores, or shares any of this information.
Website Privacy Policy
The Lokinet website never attempts to link your usage of the website to your real identity or create a user profile based on your activity. The Lokinet website can also be accessed anonymously, using Lokinet, here.
We do not use any cookies on our website to track information, and access logs on the Lokinet.org server are automatically deleted every twenty four hours.
We do not and cannot share any information related to you or your access of the Lokinet website.
Updates
We will update this privacy policy as needed so that it is current and accurate. Your continued use of Lokinet confirms your acceptance of our updated Privacy Policy.
Get in touch!
If you would like more information about Lokinet’s Privacy Policy, or have suggestions about how we can better protect your privacy, or just want to say hello — please send us an email at team@oxen.io
Oxen legals
Basic Information
“Oxen” is a protocol that establishes a user-operated decentralised payments and private routing network using cryptography and peer-to-peer networking technologies. The “Oxen” protocol is defined in a whitepaper which outlines the structure and function of the network on a broad conceptual level. An implementation of this concept is written into the ‘oxen-io/oxen-core’ software. This software was derived from the Monero project, another cryptocurrency project. The ‘oxen-io/oxen-core’ software is completely open-source, and is made available for anyone to use WITHOUT WARRANTY. It is left to users of the software to review its code, assess its strengths, weaknesses, and security, and determine the software’s suitability for their use cases. Contributors and distributors of this software cannot be held liable for any loss incurred in association with its use.
The ‘github.com/oxen-io/oxen-core’ software is currently the only known software that is compatible with the “Oxen” network. However, anyone is able to create alternative implementations of the Oxen protocol, whether these alternative distributions are based on the existing software or not. So long as the rules of the network are followed, users of alternative software distributions can interact with other users on the “Oxen” network without restriction.
At times, the users of the “Oxen” network may decide to change the network rules in order to meet some end. Such changes are often referred to as a ‘hardfork’ or similar, and if successful, they will render older software versions (or incompatible alternative versions) non-functional on the new network. These changes are substantiated by the community infrastructure providers of “Oxen”. Users should familiarise themselves with the hard-fork process present in many cryptocurrency projects before using the “Oxen” software.
Ownership
The “Oxen” concept is not owned by any individual or entity, and the Oxen software is open-source, meaning anyone can use, alter, or distribute the software for any purpose. The Oxen network is not owned or controlled by anyone. The network is maintained by users who operate nodes. No company is responsible for the network’s maintenance or operation, and no one party has the authority to block transactions or shut down the network. However, flaws in the software or certain attacks could result in the network being temporarily or permanently stopped.
While no person or entity owns the Oxen software or concept, branding and other intellectual property associated with Oxen is owned by various companies that work on Oxen. Domain names, GitHub repositories, trademarks, and other branding materials are held by the Oxen Privacy Tech Foundation, whose legal name is OPTF Ltd, a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee based in Australia.
Users of the software can own Oxen coins by possessing a private key associated with a public key which has Oxen connected to it on the blockchain. Users can generate a proof that tells the rest of the network that a given ‘output’ (a record of an amount of Oxen) is owned by the user. If a private key is lost or exposed, coins sitting in outputs able to be unlocked by that private key may be stolen or be rendered permanently irrecoverable.
Warranties
The Oxen software provided to users of Oxen is issued with the following:
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
Network Participation
OPTF Ltd, Rangeproof Pty Ltd, and other companies and individuals who work on Oxen can, and often do, participate in the operation of the Oxen network. This includes the running of full nodes, the mining of blocks, and the creation and maintenance of Service Nodes.
OPTF Ltd does run a limited number of Service Nodes using the funds generated during the premine and over time through the governance block reward. A policy has been implemented by the Board that OPTF Ltd may run up to 10% of the total Service Node network, calculated on the basis of a 30 day average. For example, if there are an average of 450 nodes on the network over a 30 day period, the Foundation will run no more than 45 nodes. This limit effectively means that the Foundation will be collecting 20% of the block reward, between its 10% share of the Service Node network, and the standard 10% governance reward.
The Foundation uses the same software as is publicly available on the oxen-io/oxen-core GitHub repository.
Market Participation
OPTF Ltd, Rangeproof Pty Ltd, and other companies and individuals who work on Oxen can and often do participate in the Oxen markets. Specifically, over the period between July – October 2019, the Foundation actively purchased Oxen tokens on the open market.
OPTF Ltd sold over 13 million Oxen coins to various contributors in the ‘premine’ event, and the Foundation has continued to buy and sell Oxen through direct engagement with various companies and individuals.
Oxen coins are publicly available on several marketplaces that are not owned or operated in any way by OPTF Ltd or its associates. Flaws in exchange software or flaws in the underlying Oxen software may result in losses by users of these exchanges. At present, NO marketplace exists for Oxen that is regulated or protected by governments in any way. There is a significant degree of risk associated with usage of such unregulated and unprotected exchanges, and users should be aware that information provided to the user by these exchanges may be false.
OPTF Ltd, Rangeproof Pty Ltd, and other companies that work on Oxen often participate in these exchanges, and employ a number of trading strategies to further their interests. These strategies include purchasing and selling Oxen in order to complete large over-the-counter deals, placing orders on both sides of an exchange’s order book in order to make a profit on the spread (sometimes called ‘market making’), and engaging in speculative trading. Any volume, price, or order book information provided by exchanges may be impacted by the activities of OPTF Ltd, Rangeproof Pty Ltd and/or its associates.
Insofar as OPTF Ltd or Rangeproof Pty Ltd have been able to determine, this market participation does not contravene any current Australian laws. By disclosing this information here, OPTF Ltd and Rangeproof Pty Ltd believe they have met their obligations under Australian Consumer Law.
OPTF Ltd Wallets
This section describes the process by which any third party can review and audit the wallets controlled by the OPTF Ltd on the Oxen blockchain to validate that the resolutions outlined herein have been correctly followed. Auditors will need to use modified versions of the default wallet software to view some of these transactions, as the wallet software is not set up to correctly view a second output in a coinbase transaction by default.
The first block in the Oxen blockchain contains a block reward of 22,500,000 Oxen. In order to view these outputs correctly, a patch is required to modify the wallet code to detect these unusual outputs. However, these outputs can also be seen on the oxen.observer block explorer by looking at block #0.
Reserve Wallet (PREMINE DESTINATION)
Public Address: LB5Q4XYTd11haHTeFd6mJQ4XBaaxQ9TXuNs7URbBjdLVPQT1WzB9ufzhBFAYibG8gBZsuE7VAj7dAh8W46G8EA3vDPbK1Pt
View Key: d905563f1cc0eada663d0491c78637490a07bd95f4bdb794c20ba605c8a91b00
When looking at the premine wallet with the view key, the wallet will show a balance ABOVE 22.5 Million. This is because a view key only allows you to see incoming transactions. Due to the nature of transactions in Oxen (inherited from Monero), most outgoing transactions send more than the desired amount, and the remaining change is then sent back to the original address. The amount returned is considered an incoming transaction. Because the view key does not allow you to see outgoing transactions, the premine wallet balance will appear larger than it is in reality.
The network was bootstrapped and mined for approximately an hour before the code was released. The first publicly minable block was block 154. All 154 premined blocks were mined to a wallet controlled by the OPTF Ltd. The reason that the software was not immediately released upon the network’s creation was to ensure that the network was stable and that transfers were working between Foundation wallets. Though fairly inconsequential compared to the rest of the premine, the coins mined from these 154 blocks (approx 18,800 Oxen) will be put to good use, as determined by the board of the Foundation in accordance with its constitution.
Every Oxen block contains three outputs. One goes to the miner who constructs the block, the next to a random Service Node, and the last to the Governance wallet specified in the code. Other nodes check that this output was sent to the right place as a consensus rule. Auditors can check the Governance block reward wallet with the same patch to see incoming block rewards equal to 5% of the expected block reward.
Governance Wallet (BLOCK REWARD DESTINATION)
Public Address: LCFxT37LAogDn1jLQKf4y7aAqfi21DjovX9qyijaLYQSdrxY1U5VGcnMJMjWrD9RhjeK5Lym67wZ73uh9AujXLQ1RKmXEyL
View Key: 934f692dd8506dec9647602ce0b8f31ea92776b8a0d970d55107a7135c7b8409
Staking Wallet (Service Node Wallet)
Public Address:L8DGNNYyHUU1dAgUa3UZV9F1KePL6Ex9YCfBTPmhFgfrV4YKh2syu7JWvPHqY47cRFFR7XYQ23JVh9YbWR9zn6Qy7uDbg3P
View Key: f8621f26b497a809e8cb11971244947ff7e65f43a19218d4afd13b4fda5afe0b
For security reasons, we will not specify the exact nature of the wallet/private key management of wallets controlled by the OPTF Ltd, but members of the community should know that many considerations have been made regarding the safe and appropriate storage and use of these wallets.
Once more, a reminder that the view key only allows a user to see incoming transactions. Key images can also be provided, but should not be considered as a trustworthy source, as no evidence of the ultimate recipient of coins can be derived from these key images.
OPTF Ltd has commissioned a financial report for FY17/18, and the results of that report are available on our Financial Audits page. All future reports and related documentation will be made available on that same page.