Privacy Policy
1. What MetaClean does
MetaClean reads and removes hidden metadata from photos you choose on your own device — EXIF, XMP, IPTC/Photoshop fields, and C2PA content-credential data. All scanning and cleaning happens locally, using the device's own processor and storage. A photo you open in MetaClean is never transmitted anywhere as part of that process.
2. Information we do not collect
We do not operate a server that receives your photos, and we do not collect:
- Your photos, or any metadata extracted from them (GPS, camera info, timestamps, authorship, or AI-provenance data)
- Your name, email address, or any account credentials — MetaClean has no accounts
- Payment information — MetaClean has no in-app purchases
3. Information stored on your device
The following stays on your device, under your operating system's normal app storage, and is never transmitted by MetaClean:
| What | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Cleaning history | File names, timestamps, and counts of data points removed, so you can review past cleans. Clearable anytime from the History screen. |
| App preferences | Your default categories to remove, theme (light/dark), and onboarding status. |
| Cleaned photo copies | Optionally saved to your device's photo library when you choose to save or share a result. |
4. Third-party services
Two features rely on third-party services. Both are disclosed here in full.
4.1 Map preview (OpenStreetMap)
If a photo has GPS coordinates, the Inspect screen can show its location on a map. This preview loads map tiles from OpenStreetMap's tile servers. Like any map service, that request includes the coordinates being viewed and standard network request metadata (such as your IP address). This only happens when you view a location found in a photo you opened — it is not triggered otherwise, and no other photo metadata is sent with it.
4.2 Advertising (Google AdMob)
The free version of MetaClean shows ads served by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect device and advertising identifiers, approximate location, and other information to serve and measure ads, subject to your device's ad-tracking and privacy settings. This data collection is governed by Google's Privacy Policy, not by MetaClean directly. No photo or photo metadata is ever shared with the ad network.
5. Permissions MetaClean requests
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| Photos / media access | To let you pick photos to scan, and to save cleaned copies back to your library. |
| Internet | Used only for the optional map tile preview and ad requests — never for the scan/clean pipeline itself. |
6. Children's privacy
MetaClean is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children, since it has no accounts or data collection of its own.
7. Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted at this same address with a revised effective date above.
8. Contact
Questions about this policy or MetaClean's data practices? Reach us at stackmasteraliza@gmail.com.
9. About the developer
MetaClean is developed and owned by Aliza Ali, a full-stack developer building privacy-focused apps.