Privacy Policy

1Who We Are

NetPause ("App", "we", "us", or "our") is developed and maintained by LinksGroups Engine. We are the data controller for any information processed in connection with this App.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

2What NetPause Does

NetPause is a focus and productivity application for Android that helps users limit access to distracting apps on their own device. The App achieves this through three pausing modes:

• Manual Mode — Pause selected apps immediately until you manually unpause them.
• Timer Mode — Pause apps for a user-defined duration (e.g., 30 minutes, 2 hours).
• Schedule Mode — Pause apps automatically at recurring times (e.g., work hours Monday–Friday).

The App operates entirely on your device. No traffic is routed to external servers. See Section 5 for full details.

3Data We Collect

NetPause collects the minimum data necessary to provide its functionality. All data is stored locally on your device.

Data We Do NOT Collect

• Names, email addresses, phone numbers, or any personal identifiers.
• Location data.
• The actual content of any internet traffic from paused apps.
• Browsing history, messages, passwords, or sensitive app data.
• No data is ever uploaded to our servers — we operate no backend.

4Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we process data under the following legal bases:

• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) — For core app functionality (reading installed apps, storing pausing sessions and settings). This processing is necessary to deliver the service you have requested.
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) — For serving personalised advertisements via Google AdMob. You are asked for consent when you first launch the App and can withdraw it at any time via Settings → Ad Preferences.
• Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) — For processing your subscription through Google Play Billing to unlock premium features.

5Network Permission — How and Why We Use It

What this permission does

• Operates entirely on your device — no traffic is sent externally.
• Cuts off internet access for apps you have chosen to pause.
• Has no effect on apps that are not currently paused.

What this permission does NOT do

• Does not route any traffic to external servers, proxies, or data centres.
• Does not log, read, store, or transmit the content of any network requests.
• Does not change your IP address or act as an anonymising service.

The permission runs entirely within your device and has no external network component.

6Access to Your Installed Apps

To present the app selection screen, NetPause queries the list of user-installed applications on your device (package names, app labels, and launcher icons). This information:

• Is used only within the app to display the selection UI.
• The full installed apps list is never stored — it is loaded into memory only while the app selector is open and is not persisted to storage.
• The names and package IDs of apps you choose to pause are stored locally on your device (as part of your pausing sessions and schedules) so the App can restore pausing state after a restart.
• No app list data is ever transmitted off your device.

7Third-Party Services

NetPause integrates the following third-party SDKs. Each has its own privacy policy and may collect data independently.

8Data Retention

All data stored by NetPause resides on your device and is retained until:

• You use Settings → Reset App to clear all data and settings.
• You uninstall the application, which removes all associated local storage.

Usage analytics (pausing session records) are kept indefinitely on your device to power your personal Analytics Dashboard. No automatic expiry is applied, but you can clear them at any time via Reset App.

8bGoogle Play Data Safety

The Google Play Store requires us to declare our data practices in the Data Safety section of our app listing. Our declaration reflects this Privacy Policy: no personal data is collected or shared with third parties except as described under Section 7 (Google AdMob and Google Play Billing). The Data Safety form is kept in sync with this policy.

If you notice any discrepancy between the Play Store Data Safety declaration and this Privacy Policy, please contact us at info@linksgroups.com.

9Your Privacy Rights

EEA / UK Users (GDPR)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation you have the right to:

• Access — Request a copy of data we hold about you.
• Rectification — Correct inaccurate data (e.g., your display name in Settings).
• Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten") — Delete your data by using Reset App or uninstalling the App. Contact us for further assistance.
• Restrict processing — Request that we limit the ways we use your data.
• Object to processing — Object to processing of your data where we rely on legitimate interests as the legal basis (Art. 21 GDPR).
• Data portability — Request an export of your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Withdraw consent — Change your ad personalisation consent at any time via Settings → Ad Preferences. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal.
• Lodge a complaint — Contact your local supervisory authority (data protection authority). A list of EEA authorities is available at edpb.europa.eu.

California Users (CCPA)

California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete personal information, and the right to opt out of the "sale" of personal information. We do not sell personal information. All data is stored locally on your device.

California Users (CPRA Update)

In addition to CCPA rights, the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA, effective January 1, 2023) grants California residents the right to correct inaccurate personal information and to limit the use of sensitive personal information. We do not collect sensitive personal information as defined under CPRA. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising.

India Users (DPDP Act 2023)

If you are located in India, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 may apply to you. Under this Act, you have the right to access, correct, and erase your personal data, and to withdraw consent for processing. Since all data is stored locally on your device, you may exercise these rights directly through the App (Settings → Reset App) or by contacting us at info@linksgroups.com.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@linksgroups.com.

10Children's Privacy

NetPause is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at info@linksgroups.com and we will take steps to remove such information.

The App is designed for users aged 13 and above who are using it of their own volition to manage their own screen time.

11Data Security

Since all user data is stored locally on your device, the security of that data is subject to your device's security measures (screen lock, encryption). We do not transmit your data, so there is no risk of interception during transit.

We recommend keeping your device's operating system up to date and enabling device encryption for best protection of locally stored data.

12Notifications

NetPause may request permission to send you notifications (Android POST_NOTIFICATIONS permission on Android 13+). Notifications are used solely for:

• Pausing status — Persistent foreground notification while the pausing service is active (required by Android OS for foreground services).
• Pause ending reminder — Optional notification 5 minutes before a timed pause expires.
• Unpaused notification — Optional notification when a paused app is automatically unpaused.

All notification preferences can be managed in Settings → Notifications within the App, or through your device's system notification settings. We do not send marketing, promotional, or third-party notifications.

12bAndroid Permissions We Request

NetPause requests the following Android permissions:

13International Data Transfers

NetPause itself does not transfer your data internationally. However, third-party services (Google AdMob, Google Play Billing) may process data in countries outside your jurisdiction, including the United States. Google relies on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission as a lawful transfer mechanism for international data transfers. Details are available in Google's Privacy Policy.

14Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Continued use of the App after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.