Legal · Privacy
Privacy Policy
What our iOS apps, this website and our advertising partners collect — and what stays on your device.
This policy explains how Applaud Ads Limited handles personal data in our iOS apps — BannerGuard, AdLens and RetentionKit — and on this website. It is written to be read, not to hide behind defined terms.
The short version
- We do not require an account. Notes, checks, revenue entries and cohort imports stay on your device; we do not operate a sync service.
- Our apps show ads through Google AdMob and Meta Audience Network. Those partners may receive an advertising identifier (IDFV), device model, OS version, language, coarse region and ad interactions.
- We do not collect precise location, contacts, photos, health data or your name.
- We do not sell personal information. Personalized advertising may be treated as “sharing” under some US state laws, and you can limit it.
- Questions or requests: admin@applaud-ads.com.
1. Who we are
Applaud Ads Limited is a private company registered in Hong Kong, with its registered address at Flat/Rm 826, 8/F, Ocean Centre, Harbour City, 5 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. We build and operate the apps listed above.
For the limited data we collect ourselves — support emails, beta requests and aggregate app measurements — Applaud Ads Limited is the data controller. For advertising delivered inside our apps, Google and Meta act as independent controllers or processors depending on the service, region and their own terms. Their handling of data is described in their privacy policies, linked in section 12.
Privacy contact: admin@applaud-ads.com. Please use the subject line “Privacy request” so it reaches the right folder.
2. Scope
This policy applies to:
- the iOS apps BannerGuard, AdLens and RetentionKit, including beta builds distributed through TestFlight;
- this website, applaud-ads.com, and any page served from it;
- emails and beta requests you send to us.
It does not apply to the App Store, TestFlight or iOS itself. Apple handles those services under Apple’s Privacy Policy. It also does not apply to websites or apps we link to.
3. What we collect
3.1 Information you give us
If you email us, we receive your email address, the contents of your message and any attachment you choose to send. If you ask to join the RetentionKit beta, we receive the email address and the information you include in that request. We do not run a contact form, a newsletter or an account system, and we do not buy contact lists.
3.2 Information our apps collect
Our apps record a small set of app-level events so we can tell whether a build works: app launches, session starts and ends, app version, device family, OS version, and which feature was opened. Where you have opted in to share diagnostics with developers through Apple, we may also receive crash logs and performance reports.
The content you create — layout checks, revenue entries, imported CSV files and cohort data — is stored in the app’s local container. We do not have a server that receives it, and we cannot read it. Deleting the app removes that local data, subject to your device backup settings.
3.3 Information collected through advertising
When an ad is requested, our advertising partners may receive the following. The request is made by their SDK inside the app, not by a web page.
| Data | Example | Why |
|---|---|---|
| IDFV | Identifier for Vendor, assigned by Apple to apps from the same developer | Frequency capping, measuring an ad, fraud prevention |
| Device details | Model, screen size, OS version, language, app version | Rendering an ad correctly and checking compatibility |
| Coarse region | Country or region derived from the IP address | Relevant ads and compliance with regional rules |
| IP address | The address used to request the ad | Delivering the ad, coarse location, security |
| Ad interactions | Impression, click, close, view duration | Reporting, payment and invalid-traffic detection |
| IDFA (conditional) | Apple’s advertising identifier, only if you allow tracking | Cross-app measurement, only with App Tracking Transparency permission |
About IDFV. The Identifier for Vendor is a string Apple assigns to all apps from the same developer installed on a device. It is not your name, email address or Apple Account. It changes if you remove every app from that developer from the device. We use it at the vendor level for measurement and frequency capping; we do not use it to build a profile of you across other companies’ apps.
About IDFA. Apple’s advertising identifier is available to ad SDKs only if you grant permission through the App Tracking Transparency prompt. If you decline, we do not access it for tracking, and the apps continue to work with contextual or non-personalized advertising.
3.4 This website
This website is a set of static pages. It sets no cookies, loads no analytics, fonts or scripts from third parties, and contains no tracking pixels. Our hosting provider may keep standard access logs — IP address, user agent, requested URL and timestamp — for security and troubleshooting. Those logs are not used for advertising or profiling.
3.5 What we do not collect
- Your name, unless you put it in an email to us.
- Precise or background location.
- Contacts, calendars, photos, microphone or camera content.
- Health, fitness or financial account information.
- Browsing history outside our apps.
- A cross-company advertising profile built by us.
4. Why we use it
We process the data described above for these purposes:
- Providing the apps. Loading the interface, keeping your entries on the device and fixing faults.
- Support. Answering your email, investigating a bug and handling privacy or beta requests.
- Measurement. Understanding which features are used and whether a release improved or broke something, using aggregated counts where possible.
- Advertising. Requesting and displaying ads, capping frequency, measuring performance and preventing invalid traffic.
- Security and legal compliance. Protecting the apps and responding to lawful requests or claims.
Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, our legal bases are: performance of a contract or steps at your request (support and app operation); legitimate interests (product measurement, security and limited advertising); consent (any tracking that requires it, and any optional diagnostics); and legal obligation where applicable. You can object to processing based on legitimate interests using the contact details below.
5. Advertising and your choices
Our apps are free and supported by advertising. We use mediation to request ads from Google AdMob and Meta Audience Network. The mediation layer decides which partner fills a placement; the selected partner’s SDK then processes the request under its own policy.
We set frequency caps per app and keep placements away from controls you need to use. We do not run forced video, ads disguised as system dialogs, or ads that open the App Store without a tap.
Your controls
- App Tracking Transparency. On iOS, go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking to see and change which apps may track you across other companies’ apps and websites. Declining does not remove ads; it limits cross-app tracking.
- Personalized advertising. Google and Meta offer their own controls. See Google’s Privacy Policy and Meta’s Privacy Policy for the current settings and opt-out routes.
- Consent where required. In regions where consent is required for personalized advertising, our partners present a consent choice. You can revisit that choice through the consent tool if it is shown, or contact us and we will pass on a request to the relevant partner.
- No sale. We do not sell personal information for money. Under the CPRA and similar laws, personalized advertising may count as “sharing”. You can limit it through the controls above or by emailing us.
- This website. There is no tracking here to opt out of. Browser signals such as Global Privacy Control have nothing to act on because we set no cookies and run no analytics.
6. When we share information
We share data only in these situations:
- Advertising partners. Google (AdMob) and Meta (Audience Network) receive the advertising data described in section 3.3 so they can deliver and measure ads.
- Service providers. Our email and website hosting providers process data on our instructions under contract, for support and security only.
- Legal requirements. We may disclose information if required by law, a court order or a regulator, or to protect rights, safety and the integrity of the apps.
- Business transfer. If the company or an app is sold or reorganised, relevant records may transfer to the successor, subject to this policy.
- Aggregated information. We may publish or share totals — such as app installs or impressions — that do not identify a person.
We do not sell personal information, rent email lists or trade data with data brokers.
7. How long we keep it
We keep data only as long as needed for the purpose it was collected for, or as required by law.
| Data | Period |
|---|---|
| Support emails | 24 months after the last message in the thread |
| Beta requests | Until the beta ends, then up to 12 months |
| Aggregate app measurements | 24 months |
| Crash diagnostics | 12 months |
| Website server logs | Controlled by our hosting provider; currently 30 days |
| Data in your apps | Until you delete it or remove the app |
Advertising partners set their own retention periods; their policies are linked in section 12. We do not control those periods.
8. Security
This website is served over HTTPS. Access to support email and company records is limited to the people who need it, protected by account security and two-factor authentication. Our apps do not send your content to us, which removes a large category of risk; the trade-off is that we cannot recover it if you lose the device.
No system is perfectly secure. If you believe you have found a vulnerability, email admin@applaud-ads.com with “Security” in the subject and enough detail to reproduce the issue. Please give us a reasonable chance to fix it before publishing.
9. International transfers
We are based in Hong Kong. Our advertising and infrastructure providers may process data in the United States, the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and other countries where they operate. Where required, transfers are covered by appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses or an equivalent mechanism, together with the providers’ data processing terms. You can ask us for more detail using the contact details below.
10. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the following rights:
- to know whether we hold personal data about you and to receive a copy;
- to correct inaccurate data;
- to delete data we control;
- to restrict or object to processing based on legitimate interests;
- to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
- to receive data you provided in a portable format;
- not to be discriminated against for exercising a privacy right.
Hong Kong residents may also contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD). EEA and UK residents may complain to their local supervisory authority. California residents may exercise rights under the CCPA/CPRA, including the right to opt out of “sharing” for personalized advertising, as described in section 5.
To make a request, email admin@applaud-ads.com with the subject “Privacy request”. Tell us what you want and which app or email address is involved. We may ask you to verify control of the email address before acting, and we will respond within 30 days (or the period required by local law). An authorised agent may submit a request with proof of authorisation.
We cannot delete data that Google or Meta holds independently, but we will identify the relevant partner and explain how to contact it.
11. Children
Our apps are utility tools for people working with mobile apps and are not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 where local law sets a higher age). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has sent us personal data, email us and we will delete what we control. Our apps are not submitted to the App Store Kids category.
12. Third-party services
These are the external services that may process data in connection with our apps. Each has its own privacy policy and controls.
- Google AdMob — ad delivery, mediation and measurement. Privacy Policy; how Google uses data in AdMob.
- Meta Audience Network — ad delivery and measurement. Privacy Policy.
- Apple — App Store distribution, TestFlight, crash reports you choose to share and App Tracking Transparency. Privacy Policy.
- Our email and hosting providers — support correspondence and serving this website. They act on our instructions and do not use the data for their own advertising.
We review third-party SDKs before adding them. They are configured not to request permissions our apps do not need, and their privacy manifests declare the data they access.
13. App Store privacy labels
Each app’s App Store product page includes an Apple privacy label summarising the data categories the app or its SDKs may collect, and whether that data may be linked to you. Those labels are based on the same facts as this policy: identifiers and device information for advertising, diagnostics if you share them, and no account or contact data.
If you believe a label does not match the app’s behaviour, tell us before relying on it. We will investigate and correct the label or the app.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our apps, partners or legal obligations change. The effective date at the top of this page will change, and the previous version can be requested by email. If a change materially affects how we handle data, we will give notice on this page and, where appropriate, in the app before the change takes effect. Continued use after an update means the revised policy applies.
15. How to contact us
For any privacy question, request or complaint:
Applaud Ads Limited
Flat/Rm 826, 8/F, Ocean Centre
Harbour City, 5 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Email: admin@applaud-ads.com
We answer within two business days where possible, and within 30 days for formal rights requests. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Hong Kong PCPD or your local data protection authority.