Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 2025

Welcome to Scam Explainer. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we handle your information. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your information.

            Key Points: We do not sell your data. We do not share your data with third parties for marketing purposes. We use your data solely to provide and improve our scam detection service.
        

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

When you use Scam Explainer, you may provide:

Text Messages: Messages you paste or type into the app for scam analysis
Images: Screenshots you upload for analysis
Voice Descriptions: Descriptions of phone calls you provide
Feedback: Optional feedback you submit about our analysis results

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

We automatically collect:

Device Information: Device type, operating system version, and app version
Usage Data: How you interact with the app (e.g., number of scans performed)
Anonymous Device ID: A randomly generated identifier to track usage limits (not linked to your personal identity)
Error Logs: Technical information when the app encounters errors, to help us fix bugs

1.3 Camera Permission

We request camera permission to allow you to:

Take photos of suspicious messages or documents for analysis
Upload screenshots directly from your device

Important: We only access your camera when you explicitly choose to take a photo within the app. We do not access your camera in the background or without your permission. Photos are only used for scam analysis and are not stored permanently on our servers.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide Scam Analysis: Analyze the content you submit to identify potential scams
Improve Our Service: Train and improve our AI models to better detect scams
Enforce Usage Limits: Track daily usage for free users (using anonymous device IDs)
Fix Technical Issues: Debug errors and improve app performance
Communicate With You: Send important updates about the service (if you provide contact information)

3. How We Share Your Information

3.1 Third-Party Service Providers

We share limited data with trusted service providers who help us operate the app:

OpenAI: We send the text/images you submit to OpenAI's API for AI-powered scam analysis. OpenAI processes this data according to their privacy policy and does not use it to train their models (per our API agreement).
Cloud Hosting: We use secure cloud infrastructure to host our backend services.
Analytics: We may use privacy-focused analytics to understand app usage patterns (no personal data is shared).

3.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, such as:

To comply with a court order, subpoena, or legal process
To protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users
To investigate fraud or security issues

3.3 What We Do NOT Do

We do NOT sell your data to third parties
We do NOT share your data with advertisers
We do NOT use your data for marketing purposes
We do NOT share your data with data brokers

4. Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as necessary:

Submitted Content: Text and images you submit are processed immediately and deleted within 30 days unless you explicitly save them to your history
Analysis History: If you save analysis results, they are stored until you delete them or close your account
Usage Data: Anonymous usage statistics are retained for up to 12 months for analytics purposes
Error Logs: Technical logs are retained for up to 90 days

5. Data Security

We take security seriously and implement industry-standard measures to protect your data:

Encryption: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS
Secure Storage: Data at rest is encrypted on our servers
Access Controls: Only authorized personnel have access to our systems
Regular Audits: We regularly review our security practices

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your data:

Access: You can request a copy of the data we have about you
Deletion: You can request that we delete your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
Correction: You can request that we correct inaccurate data
Opt-Out: You can stop using the app at any time and request data deletion
Camera Permission: You can revoke camera access at any time through your device settings (this will prevent you from taking photos in the app)

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information below.

7. Children's Privacy

Scam Explainer is designed to help adults and caregivers identify scams. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately, and we will delete it.

8. International Users

Scam Explainer is operated from the United States. If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that information we collect will be transferred to and processed in the United States. By using the app, you consent to this transfer.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will:

Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
Notify you through the app if the changes are significant
Post the updated policy on our website

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

10. Third-Party Links

Our app may contain links to third-party websites or services (e.g., links to official organization websites in our advice). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any information.

11. California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to know what personal information we collect and how we use it
Right to delete your personal information
Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (note: we do not sell personal information)
Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

12. GDPR Rights (European Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

Right to access your personal data
Right to rectification of inaccurate data
Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
Right to restrict processing
Right to data portability
Right to object to processing
Right to withdraw consent at any time

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: privacy@scamexplainer.com
Website: www.scamexplainer.com

We will respond to your inquiry within 30 days.

Summary for Non-Technical Users

In plain English:

We only collect the messages and images you choose to check for scams
We use AI (OpenAI) to analyze them and tell you if they might be scams
We don't sell your information to anyone
We don't show you ads or share your data with advertisers
We need camera permission so you can take photos of suspicious messages
You can delete your data anytime by contacting us
We keep your information secure with encryption
If you have questions, email us at privacy@scamexplainer.com