Califax VPN — Privacy Policy (iOS)

1. Who We Are

Califax VPN is a product of GuardLinkX Technologies (GLT) L.L.C. ("we", "us", "our"). We provide virtual private network (VPN) and privacy services through our mobile applications (iOS and Android), desktop applications (Windows), and website (califaxvpn.guardlinkx.com).

This Privacy Policy describes the practices that apply to the iOS application. A separate Privacy Policy is published for the Android and web versions.

Contact: services@guardlinkx.com

2. Information We Do NOT Collect

We are committed to a strict zero-log policy. We do not collect, store, or monitor:

• Your browsing history or website visits
• Traffic data, content, or DNS queries
• Your real IP address while connected to the VPN
• Connection timestamps (when you connected/disconnected)
• Session duration
• Your physical location or GPS coordinates
• Bandwidth usage or data transfer amounts
• Any information about the applications you use while connected

Our servers operate on a volatile (RAM-only) architecture. No user data is ever written to persistent storage. When a server reboots, all data is irrecoverably destroyed.

3. Information We Collect

We collect the minimum information necessary to provide the service:

3.1 Account Information

• Email address — for account creation, authentication, and service communications.
• Name (optional) — if provided during registration.
• Subscription metadata — for iOS purchases, processed by Apple via the App Store. We receive only the anonymous Apple transaction ID and the product identifier of the subscription you purchased. We never see your Apple ID, credit-card number, or other Apple account details.

3.2 Device Information

• Device identifier — a randomly generated UUID stored locally on your device, used to manage VPN sessions. It cannot be traced back to you or your device.

3.3 Diagnostics (Non-Personal)

• Crash reports — if you have opted in to share diagnostics with developers in iOS Settings, Apple may forward anonymous crash reports to us. We use these only to improve app stability.
• Download count — aggregate counts of installs (no per-user identifier).

4. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account
• To authenticate your VPN sessions
• To verify your subscription via the Apple App Store
• To send important service updates (security notices, account issues)
• To improve our service quality (using anonymous, aggregated data only)

5. App Permissions Explained

5.1 VPN Permission

Required to establish a secure encrypted tunnel between your device and our servers. This is the core function of the app. The app uses Apple's Personal VPN and Network Extension (Packet Tunnel) entitlements. iOS displays a system dialog the first time you connect, asking you to allow Califax VPN to add VPN configurations and to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode. This is a standard iOS security requirement for all VPN applications.

5.2 Network State / Network Information

Used to detect your network type (WiFi, cellular) to optimize the VPN connection and select the best server for your current conditions. iOS provides this at no extra permission cost.

5.3 Location Permission (Optional)

Only required if you enable the Location Privacy feature (Location Fuzzing). This feature protects your real GPS coordinates from being exposed to other apps. When enabled, it provides slightly randomized coordinates to other applications so they cannot pinpoint your exact position.

We never transmit your location data to our servers. Location processing occurs entirely on your device.

5.4 Notification Permission

iOS surfaces VPN status automatically via the status bar — no additional notification permission is requested by our app.

5.5 In-App Purchases

Subscription purchases on iOS are processed by Apple via StoreKit. We receive only the anonymous transaction ID and product identifier needed to activate your subscription on our backend. We never see your Apple ID, credit card number, or other Apple account details.

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, trade, or share your personal information with third parties, except:

• Apple — payments for iOS subscriptions are processed by Apple via the App Store, under Apple's own privacy policy.
• Cloud infrastructure providers — we use Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host our backend. AWS processes data on our behalf under their own security and privacy commitments.
• Legal Requirements — if required by law, though our zero-log architecture means we have no meaningful user data to provide. Our warrant canary system publicly verifies whether any government requests have been received.

7. Data Retention and Deletion

• VPN traffic data — never stored. RAM-only servers ensure zero persistence.
• Account information — retained while your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of account closure.
• Payment records — Apple retains transaction records under its own policy; we retain only the transaction identifier as required to verify entitlement.

You can permanently delete your Califax VPN account from inside the app at any time: open the Account screen and tap Delete Account. Deletion permanently removes your account, license key, and connection metadata from our systems and cannot be undone.

Important: Deleting your account does not cancel your App Store subscription. Apple manages all subscriptions independently of our servers. To stop future charges, you must also cancel your subscription in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions.

If you are unable to access the app, you may also request deletion by emailing services@guardlinkx.com from the email address associated with your account.

8. Data Security

• Military-grade encryption on all VPN connections
• Quantum-resistant encryption protocols to protect against future threats
• Volatile (RAM-only) servers that retain no data on reboot
• Hardware security vaults for encryption key storage
• Regular independent security audits

9. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate data
• Deletion — request deletion of your account and all associated data
• Portability — request your data in a portable format
• Objection — object to specific uses of your data

To exercise these rights, contact services@guardlinkx.com.

Residents of California (CCPA), the European Union and United Kingdom (GDPR), and other jurisdictions with similar laws have specific statutory rights that we honor.

10. Children's Privacy

Califax VPN is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided personal information, we will delete it immediately.

11. International Data Transfers

Our servers are located in multiple countries. By using our service, you consent to the transfer of your encrypted VPN traffic through servers in various jurisdictions. Because we maintain a zero-log policy, no personally identifiable data is stored in any jurisdiction.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify users of material changes via email or in-app notification. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.

13. Warrant Canary

GuardLinkX maintains a publicly verifiable warrant canary that is cryptographically signed and updated every 72 hours. This canary confirms that we have not received any government warrants, gag orders, or national security letters. The canary is independently verifiable by any third party.

14. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or concerns:

• Email: services@guardlinkx.com
• Website: califaxvpn.guardlinkx.com/support