Privacy Policy

1. Overview

Metadata Cleaner is a native macOS utility built by Foundry. It scans photos, documents, audio, and video files for privacy-sensitive metadata and creates cleaned copies while preserving useful properties needed by your files.

The application is built on a strict local-first architecture. Metadata Cleaner does not require a user account, does not include application analytics or product telemetry, does not track you across apps or websites, contains no advertising, and does not sell or monetize user data.

2. Files and Metadata Handling

Metadata Cleaner handles your files and metadata according to the following principles:

• Local Processing: All scanning, metadata inspection, cleaning, and output verification run entirely on your Mac.
• Sandboxing & Scoped Access: The application runs within the macOS App Sandbox. It accesses only the specific files or folders that you choose to open or drag and drop into the application using macOS-provided file access mechanisms.
• Temporary Access: Temporary file access is strictly limited to discovering files in a selected folder, inspecting metadata, creating cleaned copies, and verifying the output. Metadata Cleaner does not seek or maintain broad filesystem access.
• Preservation of Originals: Metadata Cleaner does not modify your original files as part of the normal cleaning workflow. It generates a verified cleaned copy and saves it to your specified destination.
• No File Uploads: Your files, filenames, file paths, and metadata values are never transmitted to Foundry, cloud servers, or third-party processors.

3. Data Collection and Telemetry

Metadata Cleaner does not collect personal data through application analytics or telemetry.

The application does not collect, record, or transmit:

• Filenames, folder structures, or file paths
• File contents, image data, or text
• Extracted metadata values or personal attributes
• Scan results, problem summaries, or cleaning history
• Usage metrics, screen views, or feature interaction events
• Advertising identifiers, hardware serial numbers, or device fingerprints

Metadata Cleaner does not bundle any third-party analytics SDKs, advertising frameworks, tracking pixels, or behavioral profiling tools.

4. Purchases and Entitlements

Metadata Cleaner is free to download with unlimited file scanning. Creating cleaned copies is unlocked through a one-time non-consumable In-App Purchase ("Full Cleaning").

All purchases are processed securely by Apple through the Mac App Store using Apple's StoreKit framework. Foundry does not collect, receive, or process your payment card information, billing details, or Apple Account credentials. Apple handles the transaction and informs the application of your purchase status.

Metadata Cleaner queries StoreKit entitlement data locally on your Mac solely to verify whether Full Cleaning is unlocked. Family Sharing is supported for the Full Cleaning purchase.

5. Diagnostic Information

Metadata Cleaner allows you to create and export a diagnostic report locally from within the app (via Help → Export Diagnostic Report…).

Diagnostic reports are generated locally in JSON format and contain only technical environment information and aggregate counters:

• Application version and build number
• macOS version, CPU architecture, and sandboxing status
• Session scan counts, cleanable counts, and cleaned counts
• Aggregate file format counts (e.g., total JPEG, PDF, MP4 items scanned)
• Sanitized internal diagnostic error codes

Diagnostic reports contain no filenames, file paths, file contents, metadata values, or personal identifiers.

Metadata Cleaner does not automatically transmit diagnostic reports to Foundry. If you choose to send a diagnostic report to support for troubleshooting, that transmission occurs solely because you explicitly chose to attach and email the file.

6. Website Data Handling

This Privacy Policy primarily governs the Metadata Cleaner macOS application. When you visit our public website (foundry.planta7.io) or Metadata Cleaner product pages, standard technical request data (such as IP address, browser user-agent, and requested page URL) may be processed by hosting and infrastructure providers solely to deliver web content securely and reliably.

The website does not employ third-party tracking pixels, marketing cookies, cross-site trackers, or cookie-based analytics services (such as Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or Hotjar). Website infrastructure is entirely independent of the Metadata Cleaner application and plays no role in file scanning or cleaning.

7. Third-Party Services

The application relies exclusively on standard Apple platform services:

• Apple Mac App Store & StoreKit: For application distribution, automatic updates, and in-app purchase verification.

No other third-party services, cloud storage providers, or remote data processors are integrated into the application.

8. Data Retention

Because Metadata Cleaner does not upload your files, extract data to remote servers, or collect product telemetry, Foundry does not possess, store, or retain your application files or metadata.

If you contact Foundry support via email, we retain your communication (including any diagnostic files you voluntarily share) only for the duration necessary to resolve your inquiry and provide technical assistance.

9. Children's Privacy

Metadata Cleaner is a general-purpose utility application for macOS. It is not specifically directed at children, and it does not knowingly collect personal data from any person.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or regulatory requirements. Any updates will be published at this URL (https://foundry.planta7.io/metadata-cleaner/privacy/) with an updated "Last updated" date.

11. Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or data practices in Metadata Cleaner, please reach out to us: