Who is responsible
The controller under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is:
MetaQuietEmail: [email protected]
We have not appointed a data protection officer because the legal requirements for one are not met. For any privacy question, write to [email protected].
In short
- MetaQuiet reads and cleans files on your device. The app does not send your files, file names or metadata to us or to anyone else.
- There is no account, no advertising, no analytics and no tracking, neither in the app nor on this website.
- Some data is processed by other companies when you use their services around MetaQuiet: the app store you install from, a map service if you choose to open a map, the host of this website and our email provider if you write to us. Each is described below.
Files you inspect and clean
When you pick a file, the app reads it on your device, shows the metadata it can read and writes a separate clean copy. The original file is not changed. We never receive the file, its name or its contents.
Clean copies and imported copies are kept in the app’s temporary storage until you delete them (Settings, Storage), the operating system removes them or you uninstall the app. The list of recent files exists only while the app is running.
The app uses the system photo picker and file picker, so it only sees the files you choose. It does not request access to your device location. Saving a copy to your photo library may ask for permission to add photos. When you save or share a clean copy, the app or service you choose processes it under its own terms.
The browser cleaner on metaquiet.com works the same way: files are processed in your browser and are not uploaded.
Data stored on your device
The app stores a few settings locally: theme, language, whether you finished the introduction, a local usage counter, the date you started using early access and, where it applies, a verified store record for early access. This data stays on your device, is not sent to us and is removed when you uninstall the app. Depending on your device settings it can be part of your device backup.
Maps
If a photo contains a location, the app first shows a simple overview drawn on your device without any network request. A map service is contacted only if you choose to open it:
- On iPhone, opening the map loads map tiles from Apple Maps. Apple receives the map area shown and technical data such as your IP address.
- Choosing “Open in Google Maps” passes the photo’s coordinates to Google Maps in the Google Maps app or your browser.
The photo, its file name and its other metadata are never sent. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR: our legitimate interest in offering an optional map view that you open yourself. Apple and Google process this data under their own privacy policies.
App stores
MetaQuiet is distributed through Google Play (Google Ireland Limited) and the App Store (Apple Distribution International Ltd.). When you download the app, the store processes your account, device and, where relevant, payment data under its own privacy policy. We do not receive your store account details.
To keep our early access promise, the app may ask the App Store or Google Play on your device to confirm your app purchase or install record. This check runs through the store’s own services and its result is stored only on your device.
Google and Apple give us statistics about installs, crashes and app stability. If you agreed on your device to share diagnostics with Google or Apple, crash reports can include technical details such as device model and operating system version. They do not include your files. We use them to find and fix errors. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, our legitimate interest in a reliable app.
This website
metaquiet.com is hosted by Cloudflare, Inc., 101 Townsend St., San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. To deliver the pages and protect them against attacks, Cloudflare processes the data your browser sends with each request, in particular your IP address, the time, the page requested, the referring page and your browser’s user agent. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, our legitimate interest in a secure and working website. Cloudflare processes this data on our behalf under its data processing addendum and keeps logs only for a limited time. We do not use this data to identify you or build profiles.
The website sets no cookies. Fonts are served from our own domain, so no request goes to Google Fonts. If you switch between light and dark mode, your choice is stored in your browser’s local storage under the key “mq-theme”. This is strictly necessary for the function you requested (§ 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG) and you can delete it in your browser settings at any time.
If you write to [email protected], the message is forwarded by Cloudflare Email Routing to a mailbox hosted by Google (Google Workspace). We process your email address, your message and any attachments to answer you. Please do not attach private files unless we ask for them.
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR where your message concerns the use of MetaQuiet, otherwise Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, our legitimate interest in answering enquiries. We delete support emails when they are no longer needed, at the latest two years after the conversation ends, unless a statutory retention period requires us to keep them longer.
Transfers outside the EU
Cloudflare, Google and Apple may process data in the United States. These companies are certified under the EU–US Data Privacy Framework, and their data processing terms include the EU Standard Contractual Clauses as an additional safeguard.
Your rights
Under the GDPR you have the right to access your data (Art. 15), to have it corrected (Art. 16) or deleted (Art. 17), to restrict its processing (Art. 18), to data portability (Art. 20) and to object to processing based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR for reasons arising from your particular situation (Art. 21). To use these rights, write to [email protected]. Because the app does not send us any data, we usually cannot link app use to a person.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, for example in the country where you live. The authority responsible for us is: Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit, Alt-Moabit 59–61, 10555 Berlin.
Other information
You are not required to provide personal data. The app works without an account. If you email us, we need your email address to reply.
We do not use automated decision making or profiling.
MetaQuiet is a general purpose tool. It does not ask for your age and does not create profiles of children or adults.
We will update this policy when the app, the website or the law changes. The date at the top shows the current version.