Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

GhostFirewall is a self-control and parental-control Android application published at ghostfirewall.whosthat.uk. For privacy questions contact [email protected].

Data controller: You, the device owner. GhostFirewall does not operate a separate cloud service that stores your browsing history, SMS content, or notification text on our servers.

2. What we process and why

When you enable protection, the app may process the following on device only:

• Network metadata and DNS queries to block gambling sites, ads, trackers, and malware domains (via Android VpnService).
• SMS message content (optional) in memory to detect gambling spam, scams, and advertising, if you grant SMS permissions.
• Notification text (optional) if you enable Notification Access, to filter non-essential alerts.
• App usage timing (optional) if you enable Usage Access, for background app management features.
• Anonymous counters such as number of blocks, stored locally in encrypted app storage.

Lawful basis (UK/EU GDPR): Your consent when enabling features, and your legitimate interest in blocking harmful or unwanted content. We do not use your data for advertising profiles or sale to third parties.

3. What we do not do

• We do not sell personal data.
• We do not build cross-app advertising profiles on our servers.
• We do not upload SMS or notification content to GhostFirewall cloud servers for analysis.
• We do not require a GhostFirewall account for core blocking features.

4. Storage and retention

Settings, block counters, and preferences are stored on your phone. Ephemeral processing (for example checking a single SMS or DNS query) is discarded after the block decision. Uninstalling the app or clearing its storage in Android settings removes locally held data.

5. Your rights

Under UK and EU GDPR you may have rights to access, rectify, erase, restrict, or object to processing. Because data stays on your device:

• Access / erasure: Uninstall GhostFirewall or clear app storage in Android Settings.
• Withdraw consent: Turn off VPN, SMS, Notification Access, or Usage Access in Android Settings and in the app.
• Subscription lock periods: If you enabled a self-control lock, some toggles may stay disabled until the period you chose ends.

You may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. We will respond to email requests within a reasonable time.

6. Children

GhostFirewall may be used for family protection. Parents or guardians are responsible for installing the app and granting permissions on a minor's device in line with local law.

7. International users

The app is designed for local processing regardless of country. If you use the app outside the UK/EU, you are responsible for compliance with local laws. Our website may be served from infrastructure in the UK.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this page when features or legal requirements change. The "Last updated" date at the top will be revised. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.