Cloaksmith — Privacy Policy

Effective date: 5 September 2026 Developer: Barton Hall Software Pty Ltd (ACN 700 196 809) ("we", "us") Contact: hello@cloaksmith.app

Cloaksmith is built so that your documents stay on your Mac. This policy explains, plainly, what the App does and does not do with your information.

The short version

• Your documents are processed entirely on your device.
• We do not collect, upload, store, or see the contents of your documents.
• There is no account, no sign-in, no analytics, and no advertising.
• The App connects to the internet only for narrow, non-content purposes. On the direct-download version: downloading its on-device engine when you first run it (resuming automatically if the connection drops), checking for App updates when it opens (you can turn this off in Settings), and — if you buy a licence — checking your licence key once when you enter it. None of these requests contain your documents.
• On the Mac App Store version the engine is included inside the App (there is no first-run download), updates arrive through the App Store, and the one-time unlock is an in-app purchase handled by Apple. The App itself makes no network requests of its own on that version.

What we do not collect

We do not collect or transmit the documents you open, the text you paste, the personal information the App detects, the redacted copies it produces, or any usage, analytics, or telemetry data. None of this ever leaves your Mac by way of the App.

The one-time engine download (direct-download version)

The Mac App Store version includes the engine inside the App and does not download it. On the direct-download version, the first time you run the App, it downloads its on-device engine (an encrypted model file, about 1.3 GB) from our hosting endpoint, operated for us by Cloudflare. This request includes only what is technically required to serve the download (for example, your IP address as seen by the server, standard request headers, and an application token embedded in the App). It does not include your documents or any personal information from them. After the download, the App works offline; it does not need a network connection to redact documents.

Cloudflare processes this request as our hosting provider under its own terms (its privacy policy is at https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/).

Checking for updates (direct-download version)

The Mac App Store version is updated through the App Store and does not check for updates itself. On the direct-download version, when the App opens, it asks our hosting endpoint (also operated for us by Cloudflare) for the latest version number, so it can offer you bug fixes and improvements. This request includes only what is technically required to serve it (your IP address as seen by the server and standard request headers) — never your documents, the text you paste, or anything the App detects. Updates install only when you click Install, and every update is cryptographically signed: the App refuses anything not signed by us. You can turn the automatic check off in Settings, and check manually whenever you choose.

Licence activation

The App is free for a trial of five documents; after that it requires a one-time purchase. When you enter your licence key, the App checks it once with our payment processor, Gumroad, to confirm the purchase. That check sends only the licence key — never your documents, the text you paste, or the personal information the App detects. As part of the check, Gumroad counts how many Macs have activated that key (licences cover up to three). Once the key is confirmed, the App records the activation on your Mac and does not check again; it keeps working offline. Your purchase is handled by Gumroad as merchant of record under its own privacy policy (https://gumroad.com/privacy).

Mac App Store version. If you bought Cloaksmith on the Mac App Store, the one-time unlock is an in-app purchase processed by Apple under Apple's terms and privacy policy (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/). No licence key is used: the purchase is tied to your Apple Account and can be restored from the purchase screen. We do not receive your name, payment details, or Apple Account information — Apple reports only that the purchase exists.

What stays on your Mac

The following are created and kept only on your Mac, and are never sent to us:

• Redacted copies — saved to the folder you choose (by default, Downloads).
• Pseudonym stand-ins — if you use pseudonymisation, the pairing between your real details and their stand-ins is shown in the review screen while you work. It is held in memory only and is not saved to disk.
• Temporary working files — created while a document is processed and deleted when processing finishes.

You are in control of these files and can delete them at any time.

Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your information. Because we do not collect your document contents in the first place, there is nothing of that kind for us to share.

Security

Processing is local, the model file is stored encrypted at rest, and temporary working files use restricted file permissions. No method of storage is perfectly secure, but keeping your documents on your own device removes the risks that come with uploading them to a server.

Children

The App is not directed at children and does not knowingly collect information from anyone, including children.

Changes to this policy

If we change how the App handles information, we will update this policy and its effective date. Material changes will be reflected in the App.

Contact

Questions about privacy: hello@cloaksmith.app.