Security, data, and code ownership

Where your data lives, who can reach it, how we handle GDPR, and what you own. Written for people who have to answer these questions to someone else.

The App14 team1 min read

If you are reading this, you probably have to justify a decision to a partner, a board, a practice manager, or a funder. Here is what you need.

Where your data lives

In your own cloud account, in a region you choose, in a database created in your name. UK or EU hosting is the default for UK clients.

We do not pool client data in a shared system. There is no App14 database holding your users. After handover we hold no copy of your production data.

Who owns what

AssetOwnerFrom when
Source code repositoryYouDay one of the sprint
Database and backendYouFrom creation
Apple and Google accountsYouFrom setup
Store listingsYouFrom submission
User and customer dataYou, as controllerAlways

There are no licence fees, nothing to renew, and nothing that requires our permission for you to move to a different developer.

GDPR

We build for the UK market and treat UK GDPR compliance as part of the job rather than an add-on.

What we do as standard

  • Data minimisation by defaultWe collect what the app needs to work, not what might be useful later.
  • Encryption in transit and at restTLS everywhere, encrypted storage.
  • Consent handled properlyAnalytics and tracking gated behind opt-in, not assumed.
  • Deletion and exportUsers can get their data out and have it removed.
  • A privacy policy that matches the appRather than a template that describes something else.

Our own site runs the same way: consent defaults are set before any tag loads, and tracking scripts do not fire until someone opts in. It is a reasonable proxy for how we build.

For regulated sectors

If you work in healthcare, education, or professional services, the questions you will be asked are usually the same ones. We can provide, on request:

  • A data processing agreement.
  • Hosting region confirmation in writing.
  • A description of who on our side has access during the build, and for how long.
  • Confirmation of what we retain after handover, which is nothing operational.

Common questions

Where is our data stored?

In a database in your own cloud account, in a region you choose. UK or EU hosting is the default for UK clients. We do not pool client data and we do not hold a copy after handover.

Who is the data controller?

You are. It is your app, your users, and your account. During the build we act as a processor on your instructions, and we can sign a data processing agreement covering that.

Do you do penetration testing?

A security audit is included in the Advanced package. Formal third-party penetration testing is a separate engagement and we will tell you when your project genuinely warrants one.

Need to satisfy a compliance review?

Tell us what you're trying to build and we'll tell you honestly whether a 14-day sprint is the right way to do it.

Free. No commitment. Just a conversation.

About the author

The App14 team · Design and engineering, Appetite Studio

App14 is the 14-day app sprint run by Appetite Studio, a London-registered design and engineering studio. We design, build, and ship production iOS and Android apps in two weeks, at a published fixed price. Everything we write here comes out of work we have actually delivered: the prices are our real prices, the timelines are our real timelines, and the limits are the ones we genuinely hold to.

Our articles are drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by the App14 team before publication. The prices, timelines, delivery record, and client outcomes described are our own.

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