Effective Date: April 1, 2026
The Technical Area, LLC, (“we,” "us," or "our"), an Indiana limited liability corporation, develops the MoonToStars app as a privacy-by-design tool. Your privacy is not a feature; it is the default.
1. No Data Collection
We do not collect, store, or sell your personal information.
Observation Data: We do not have access to your saved astronomy observations, so we cannot access your:
- Location Access: The app requests access to your Location for populating the GPS coordinates of your observation for your log in real-time. We do not link this location data to your identity, nor eo we use it for tracking or advertising. We do not have access to the data, it’s only stored on your device and in your iCloud.
- Network Access: The app requests access to your local network and bluetooth to allow your iPad to connect to your iPhone to take pictures, controlling from your iPad. Use of your local Wi-Fi or cellular data for device-to-device syncing is subject to your wireless carrier’s agreement.
- Notifications: The app requests the ability to send/receive notifications to allow the iPad to be informed that photos from the iPhone are ready. No other notifications are sent. You will not receive any iMessages from rhe app. We do not collect your email or phone information.
- Observation Notes, Photos & iCloud Sync: Your notes are stored locally on your device and synchronized via your private Apple iCloud account.
- Device-to-Device Communication * Local Sync: The connection between your iPhone (Camera) and iPad (Controller) occurs over your local network or a direct peer-to-peer link.
- No Cloud Interception: Video feeds and raw image data are transmitted directly between your devices and are not routed through or stored on the Company’s servers. * Carrier Terms: You acknowledge that using this feature over a mobile hotspot or cellular data is subject to your wireless service provider's terms.
- Zero Access: We do not have servers that store your data. We cannot see, read, or share your observations or astrophotographs.
- No Third-Party Sharing: We do not sell your data or share it with any third parties, as we never possess it in the first place.
- Personal Identifiers: We do not require an account, email address, or phone number to use the app. Your identity is managed entirely by Apple.
2. Data Storage & iCloud Syncing
The App uses Apple’s CloudKit service to store your observation data and synchronize it across your devices.
- Private Container: Your data is stored in your personal, private iCloud database.
- Encryption: Data is encrypted by Apple during transit and at rest.
- Zero Access: We (the developer) cannot access your private iCloud container. We have no technical means to see your routes or locations.
4. Subscription & Billing Data
All purchases and subscriptions are handled by Apple Inc. We do not receive your credit card information, billing address, or full name.
5. Data Retention & Deletion
Because your data is stored in your own iCloud account, you are in full control of it.
- Deleting Data: You can delete observations within the app, which will remove them from your iCloud account.
- App Deletion: Deleting the app does not automatically delete your data from iCloud. You can manage your iCloud storage through your iOS System Settings.
- Data Recovery: If you delete your data from iCloud or lose access to your Apple ID, we cannot recover your notes for you.
6. Indiana Consumer Rights
As an Indiana-based company, we comply with relevant state privacy standards. Because we do not "process" or "sell" your personal data, most "Right to Know" or "Right to Delete" requests are fulfilled by you directly through your device and Apple ID settings.
7. Contact
For questions regarding this policy, please contact us at support@thetechnicalarea.net.