Timestamp Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

The Timestamp app ("the app") is developed and published by VISUOSOFTS LTD ("Visuosofts", "we", "our", "us"), a company registered in England & Wales (company no. 16717613), 174 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M14 5LQ, United Kingdom. For the purposes of UK and EU data protection law, Visuosofts is the controller of the limited personal data described in this policy.

This policy covers only the Timestamp app. Our website and agency services are covered by our main Privacy Policy.

2. What the app does

Timestamp takes photos and permanently adds the date, time and place to each picture. To stop the time being faked, the app does not use your phone's clock: it checks the real time with internet time servers and keeps counting with a clock that cannot be changed from your phone's settings, so it also works offline. It adds your GPS coordinates, an address and the nearest named place to the photo.

3. Information the app uses

Camera and photos

• The camera is used only while you are in the app, to take the photo you ask for. The app does not record audio.
• The stamped photo is saved to your phone's photo gallery (on Android in a "Timestamp" album). On iPhone the app only asks to add photos and cannot see the rest of your library. A temporary copy is kept in the app's cache so you can share it; your phone may clear this at any time.
• We never upload your photos. Nothing is sent to Visuosofts.
• The location and time are written visibly on the photo. The app does not add hidden location (EXIF GPS) data to the saved file. Anyone you share the photo with can see the visible stamp.

Precise location

• With your permission, the app reads your precise GPS location only while the app is open (never in the background).
• It is used to print the coordinates, address and nearest place on your photo.
• To turn coordinates into an address, the app uses your phone's built-in geocoding service (Apple on iPhone, Google on Android).
• To find the nearest named place (for example a shop, station or landmark), the app sends your coordinates to the OpenStreetMap Overpass service (see section 4).
• The app checks whether your location comes from a "fake GPS" app so that it can refuse to stamp fake locations. This check happens on your phone.
• Visuosofts does not receive, store or keep a history of your location.

Verified time

• The app contacts public internet time servers to get the correct time. These requests contain no personal information apart from your device's IP address, which every internet connection reveals.
• The app stores on your phone the last verified time and a reading of your phone's internal uptime clock, so it can keep the correct time offline. This never leaves your phone.

What we do not collect

• No name, email address, phone number or account details (there is no account).
• No contacts, microphone, messages or files other than the photos you take.
• No analytics or tracking by Visuosofts. (Advertising is described separately in section 5.)

4. Third-party services

The app relies on the following services. Each processes data under its own privacy policy.

5. Advertising

The app is free and supported by ads from Google AdMob: a banner at the bottom of the screen and, occasionally, a full-screen ad after saving a photo.

• Consent (UK, EEA and Switzerland): on first launch the app shows Google's consent message. You can choose whether Google may use your data for personalised ads. If you decline, you may still see non-personalised ads, which use limited data (for example to count ads and prevent fraud).
• iPhone tracking permission: iOS asks whether the app may "track" you. If you choose "Ask App Not to Track", your advertising identifier (IDFA) is not shared.
• Changing your choices: use Privacy choices in the app's menu to review your ad consent at any time. You can also reset or delete your advertising ID (Android: Settings › Privacy › Ads; iPhone: Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking).
• Visuosofts receives only aggregated ad reports from Google (for example, the total number of ad views). We cannot identify you from them.

6. Sharing your photos

Photos are shared only when you tap Share. Your phone's share menu then sends the photo, together with a short caption containing the date, time, place and a Google Maps link to the coordinates, to the app or person you choose. What happens next is governed by that app's privacy policy.

7. Permissions and how to withdraw them

• Camera: to take photos.
• Location (while using the app): to stamp your location.
• Photos / gallery (add only): to save stamped photos.
• Tracking (iPhone only, optional): for personalised ads.
• Internet: for verified time, place names and ads.

You can withdraw any permission at any time in your phone's Settings. The app will stop the related feature. For example, without location permission it cannot stamp photos.

8. Storage, retention and deletion

• Everything the app creates stays on your phone: your photos (until you delete them from your gallery), the temporary share copy, and the last verified time.
• Uninstalling the app deletes its stored data. Photos already saved to your gallery stay there until you delete them.
• Visuosofts holds no copy of this data, so there is nothing for us to delete on our side. Data held by Google for advertising is kept according to Google's Privacy Policy.

9. Legal basis (UK GDPR / EU GDPR)

• Providing the app (camera, location, verified time, place names): our legitimate interest in providing the features you choose to use, together with the permissions you grant in your phone's settings.
• Personalised advertising: your consent, which you can withdraw at any time as described in section 5.
• Non-personalised advertising and fraud prevention: our legitimate interest in offering the app free of charge.

10. Children

Timestamp is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has used the app in a way that concerns you, contact us and we will help.

11. International transfers

The services in section 4 may process data outside the UK (for example Google in the United States and OpenStreetMap services in Germany). These providers rely on recognised safeguards such as adequacy decisions, the UK International Data Transfer Addendum or Standard Contractual Clauses.

12. Security

All network requests made by the app for place names, ads and web-based time checks use encrypted HTTPS. Standard network time (NTP) requests are not encrypted but carry no personal content. Because we do not operate servers that store your data, there is no Visuosofts database of Timestamp users that could be breached.

13. Your rights

Under UK and EU data protection law you have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to the processing of your personal data, the right to data portability, and the right to withdraw consent. As we do not hold personal data from the app, most requests will concern data held by the third parties above; we will help you direct them. Contact us at info@visuosofts.com.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk) or your local data protection authority.

14. Changes to this policy

If the app starts using data in a new way, we will update this page and its effective date before the change takes effect, and highlight significant changes in the app's release notes.

15. Contact us

• Email: info@visuosofts.com (subject: "Timestamp privacy")
• Post: VISUOSOFTS LTD, 174 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M14 5LQ, United Kingdom