Kuuki Cam Privacy Policy
This policy explains how Kuuki Cam (くうきcam, formerly CamFilter; the “App”) handles information. The operator is Taiki Kira.
1. Summary
- Your photos, videos, and capture records are stored on your iPhone.
- The operator’s server only receives what you turn on under “Data sharing” in Settings. All three options are off by default.
- There is no account. The App does not collect your name, email address, or phone number.
- Ads are shown by Google’s advertising service. No ads are shown while “Share photos continuously” is on.
- The App does not track you across other companies’ apps and websites, and it does not ask for tracking permission.
2. Camera, microphone, and photos
The camera is used for preview and capture. The microphone is used only while you record a video or take a Live Photo.
Captured photos and videos, the originals before a Style is applied, and the capture settings are first stored in the App’s own storage on your device. A photo is added to your device’s Photos app when you turn on “Also save to Photos” or save it from the gallery. In that case the App passes the styled photo together with the original and the edit information, so that you can revert it in the Photos app. The App does not add location information to saved photos.
If you choose to share or export a photo for posting, it is passed to the destination you select. That destination’s terms and privacy policy apply. The App never posts to social media automatically.
Photos taken from the Lock Screen or Control Center are kept in a temporary place on your device and moved into the App’s storage the next time you open the App. The App does not use the network while capturing from the Lock Screen.
If you delete the App, the photos, videos, and records stored inside the App are deleted too. Items already added to the Photos app remain.
3. Processing that stays on your device
The following is done on your device only. The results are not sent to the operator, except for what Section 6 (“Data sharing”) says is sent.
- Scene analysis: To suggest Styles, the App looks at the camera image for brightness, color, and the general kind of scene.
- Face position and expression: For the smile shutter, the Spotlight Style, and suggestions when someone is facing the camera, the App looks at the position, size, and direction of faces and how much a face is smiling. It does not identify who a person is. Face images, face features, and expressions are neither recorded nor sent.
- Learning from your choices: When “Learn from my choices” is on, the App records on your device numerical scene features (which cannot be turned back into a photo) and the Style you chose, and uses them to adjust suggestions.
- Capture records: The App records on your device which suggestions were shown, which one you chose, and whether you later changed, deleted, or shared the photo. Images, locations, and place names are not part of these records.
- Feedback: When “Ask if the Style felt right after shooting” is on, your answers are recorded on your device.
4. Location (optional)
Only when you turn on “Use nearby place types for suggestions” and grant location permission does the App use your approximate location, while you use the App, to look up the types of nearby places. This lookup sends the location to Apple’s map service. The App never sends location to the operator’s server, and it does not keep coordinates or place names in its records. You can take photos and get suggestions without this feature.
5. Configuration download
The App downloads a configuration file from the operator’s server (hosted on Cloudflare). It controls things such as which features are switched off and how often ads may appear. This request carries no identifier for you or your device. The operator’s server neither stores nor logs IP addresses or request headers.
6. Data sharing (optional; everything is off by default)
After you have taken three photos, the App asks once whether you would like to help. If you choose “Not now”, nothing is sent. You can change your choices at any time under “Data sharing” in Settings. Capture and suggestions work fully with everything off.
6.1 Help improve the app
When this is on, the App sends:
- To the operator’s server: counts of which Styles were chosen and changed, grouped by the general kind of scene (including whether a person is in the frame), once a week; and a numerical summary of your tendencies in choosing Styles, once a month. No identifier for you or your device is attached.
- To Google’s Firebase (Google Analytics for Firebase and Firebase Crashlytics, provided by Google LLC): actions in the App (such as taking a photo, choosing a Style, saving, or sharing), a coarse measure of how quickly the shutter responded, and crash information. Google’s SDK processes an app-specific identifier (the app instance ID), device and app information, and an approximate region derived from your IP address. The advertising identifier (IDFA) is not used.
Photos and videos, location, names of recognized objects, face or expression information, feedback answers, and per-capture identifiers are not sent.
6.2 Help study suggestions (fewer ads)
When this is on, the App sends to the operator’s server: coarse categories of the scene at capture (such as brightness, color, and whether a person is in the frame), coarse categories of how the camera was used (such as zoom and exposure adjustment), the suggestions shown, the Style you chose, and whether you later changed, deleted, or shared the photo. These are sent together with a random number created for this device (the research ID). If the location feature is on, the type of place (a category such as “park” or “restaurant”) is sent too.
Photos and videos, coordinates, place names, and exact times are not sent. Time is rounded to the week and the part of the day. The research ID is not combined with your name or contact details, with advertising identifiers, or with the photo-sharing number. What is sent is deleted after 4 months.
6.3 Share photos continuously (no ads; adults aged 18 or over only)
Before you can turn this on, the App shows a screen explaining what will be sent. Only people aged 18 or over can turn it on.
- What is sent: For each photo, 7 days after it was taken, the App sends the original and the styled photo, both reduced in size (long side 2048 pixels) and with location and all other attached information removed. It also sends the Style you chose and its settings, coarse categories of the scene, and whether you later changed the Style. The capture time is rounded to the week.
- What is not sent: photos you deleted within the 7 days, photos you removed under “To be shared” in the gallery, videos (for Live Photos, only the still image is sent), location, and your device name.
- People in photos: Photos showing people, children, documents, or screens are sent too, unless you delete them or remove them under “To be shared”. Please only share photos for which the people shown have agreed.
- Date stamps: If you used a Style that stamps the date onto the photo, the stamped date is sent as part of the image.
- When it is sent: only on Wi-Fi and while charging. Cellular data is not used.
- Identifier: Shared photos are stored with a random number created for this device (the contributor ID). It is not combined with your name or contact details, or with the research ID.
- Use: analysis and evaluation to improve Styles (filters) and suggestions. Photos are not published or sold.
- Monthly check: Once a month the App asks whether you want to continue. If you do not answer twice in a row, sharing is paused (and ads return while it is paused).
- Retention: deleted after 12 months.
External AI services: Shared photos may be sent to an external AI service for analysis in order to improve Styles. Before sending, photos are reduced further in size and location information is removed. Only services that are contractually barred from using received photos to train their own AI are used, and they are listed on this page. Currently, no photos are sent to any external AI service. Before that starts, the service will be listed here.
7. Advertising
The App shows ads using Google’s advertising service (Google AdMob, provided by Google LLC).
- Ads appear only after you save to the Photos app from the gallery, or after you share or post. They never appear over the camera screen or while you are shooting.
- While “Help study suggestions” is on, fewer ads are shown. While “Share photos continuously” is on, no ads are shown (ads return while sharing is paused).
- To show ads and measure their performance, Google processes device and app identifiers, your IP address (used to estimate a general location), information about ads shown and tapped, device and app information, and diagnostic information.
- The App does not ask for tracking permission (App Tracking Transparency), so the device’s advertising identifier (IDFA) is not used.
- If you live in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, Google’s consent screen asks how information may be used for advertising. You can change your choice at any time under “Ad privacy settings” in Settings.
- Getting fewer or no ads does not depend on location, notification, or tracking permissions.
For how Google handles information, see How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services and Google’s Privacy Policy.
8. Service providers and where data is stored
The operator uses the following providers. Each receives only the information described in Sections 6 and 7.
| Provider | Role | Information | Where it is stored or processed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare, Inc. | The operator’s server (API) and storage for shared photos | Configuration requests; data in Section 6 | API: locations worldwide; photo storage: Asia-Pacific |
| Neon (Neon, LLC; its parent company is Databricks, Inc.) | The operator’s database | Aggregates in 6.1, research records in 6.2, the photo ledger in 6.3 | Singapore |
| Google LLC (Firebase) | Usage analytics and crash reports | The Firebase part of 6.1 | The United States and other countries where Google operates servers |
| Google LLC (AdMob) | Showing ads | Section 7 | The United States and other countries where Google operates servers |
| Apple Inc. | Looking up nearby place types | Approximate location in Section 4 | According to Apple’s policies |
These providers are located, or operate servers, outside Japan. If you live in Japan, the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, or elsewhere, your information is handled outside your country (for example in the United States and Singapore). The operator uses these services under each provider’s data processing terms. For transfers from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, Cloudflare and Google provide mechanisms such as Standard Contractual Clauses. For Neon, the data processing terms of Neon and its parent company apply.
The operator does not sell information, and does not give it to anyone not listed here except where required by law.
9. Retention
| Information | Period |
|---|---|
| Photos, videos, and records on your device | Until you delete them (deleting the App deletes them) |
| Aggregates in 6.1 (no identifier) | Kept as statistics (they are not connected to a person, so they cannot be picked out and deleted later). Monthly summaries are deleted after they are used for estimation, within 45 days at most |
| The Firebase part of 6.1 | Google Analytics event-level data: 2 months; user-level data: 14 months after your last use. Crash reports: 90 days |
| Research records in 6.2 | 4 months |
| Shared photos in 6.3 | 12 months |
| Records of deletion requests | As long as needed to confirm they were carried out |
10. Stopping and deleting
- Help improve the app: Turning it off stops further sending. Aggregates already sent to the operator’s server are not connected to a person and cannot be deleted. Data sent to Firebase is deleted when its retention period ends.
- Help study suggestions: Choosing “Stop research sharing and delete sent data” in Settings stops sending and asks the operator’s server to delete your research records. The research ID on your device is deleted too.
- Share photos continuously: Turning it off stops further sending. Choosing “Stop and delete previously shared photos” asks the operator’s server to delete the photos and records you shared. Results already produced from analysis or evaluation (numbers that do not contain individual photos) cannot be undone.
- Photos and records on your device: “Delete in-app photos and records” in Settings deletes them. It does not delete items already added to the Photos app, or data on the operator’s server (use the options above for that).
- Permissions: You can change camera, microphone, Photos, and location permissions at any time in your device’s Settings.
Deletion requests are normally carried out within a few days, and within 30 days at the latest. A request is verified with a number and a key kept on your device. If you delete the App, that number and key can no longer be used, so please make the request before deleting the App. Data for which no request was made is deleted when its retention period ends.
11. Security
Communication is encrypted. The operator’s server does not store IP addresses. The storage for shared photos is not public, and only the operator can access it. The research ID and the contributor ID are separate numbers and are not linked to each other. No face-feature data is created.
12. Your rights under local law
If you live in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, or another place with similar laws, you have rights under data protection law (such as the GDPR). In that case the controller is the operator (Taiki Kira).
- Legal bases: Data sharing in Section 6 and the use of information for advertising in Section 7 are based on your consent. Downloading the configuration (Section 5) and the minimum processing needed to run the App securely are based on the operator’s legitimate interests.
- Rights: to access, correct, and delete your information; to restrict its handling; to receive it in a portable form; to object to its handling; and to withdraw consent at any time (this does not affect handling before the withdrawal). You can also lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority in your country.
- How to use them: You can withdraw consent and request deletion from inside the App as described in Section 10. For anything else, contact the address below. Information on the operator’s server is connected only to random numbers, not to your name or contact details, so the operator may be unable to tell which information is yours from an email alone.
If you live elsewhere and have rights under your local law, you can use the same contact address.
13. Children
The App is not directed to children under 13. “Share photos continuously” is available only to people aged 18 or over.
14. Changes to this policy
When this policy changes, this page is updated and the “Last updated” date is changed. Before the App starts sending more information, or adds a new recipient such as an external AI service, this page is updated first and, where needed, the App asks for your consent again.
15. Contact
Operator: Taiki Kira
Contact: camfilter@getcoshub.com