On-device by default. Honest about the rest.

Who this covers

This policy applies to the Seerie Android app (package com.seerror.seerie), published by Seerror, a privacy-first software studio founded by Jay Tiwari in Bengaluru, India. Seerie helps you check whether a message, link, or document is a scam, ask safety questions to an on-device assistant, and reach a trusted contact in an emergency. It routes you to India's official channels (1930, 112, 1098, cybercrime.gov.in and others). Seerie is awareness and safety guidance, it is not a government product and not legal or financial advice.

What runs on your device

The core of Seerie works on your phone, not on our servers:

• Scam checking (Scan) the messages, links, screenshots, and documents you check are analysed on your device. Images are read with on-device OCR. This content is not sent to us for analysis.
• Seerie Brain (AI chat) after a one-time model download (~940 MB), the assistant runs fully offline on your phone. Your chat text is not sent to Seerror servers for AI processing.
• Trusted contact details stored on your device only, and never uploaded to us.

Some of this on-device content can be optionally backed up to the cloud if you choose to sign in and keep backup on, see below.

Information we collect

We collect the following, and only for the reasons given:

• Account information your email address, name, and a user/account ID, when you create an account with email and password or sign in with Google. This is used to sign you in. Sign-in and account storage are handled through Google Firebase Authentication.
• Chat & scan history (optional cloud backup) if you are signed in and have not turned on Local-only mode, your chat and scan history are backed up to our cloud database (Firebase Firestore) so you can restore them. You can turn this off; see Your choices.
• Community posts if you choose to post in the Community, your post content and display name are stored and shown to other users (posts are moderated before they appear).

We do not collect your contacts, and we do not build an advertising profile of you.

Cloud backup & Local-only mode

Seerie can optionally back up your chat history and scan history to our cloud (Firebase) so they are not lost if you change devices. This backup only happens when you are signed in and cloud backup is on. If you turn on Local-only mode, cloud sync is disabled and your chat and scan history stay on your device only (community posting is also disabled in this mode). You can delete your cloud backup at any time without deleting your account.

Community

The Community is a moderated, peer-support space. Browsing the public feed does not require an account; posting does. When you post, your message and display name are stored in our database and shown to other users after moderation. Please don't share sensitive personal information (such as full card numbers, OTPs, or Aadhaar numbers) in public posts. The Community is not an emergency hotline, for emergencies use 112 or 1930.

Trusted contact & emergency alerts

Seerie includes an opt-in personal-safety feature. You can save up to two trusted contacts on your device, and send them an alert with one tap when you need help.

• The alert is sent from your own phone. Seerie composes the message and sends it through your phone's SMS (your SIM), or, if there's no signal, offers a WhatsApp message you send, or a short-range Bluetooth "Nearby SOS" beacon to nearby Seerie users. These alerts do not pass through Seerror's servers and are not stored by us.
• Your trusted contacts are stored on your device only. We never receive or store their numbers.
• If you can't get a signal, the alert is queued on your device and retried automatically for up to 24 hours.

Location & live emergency sharing

Location is used only for the safety feature, and only when you choose:

• Map pin in an alert when you tap "I need help" or "I'm safe" with the location option on, Seerie adds your current location (coordinates, a Plus Code, and a maps link) to the alert it sends to your trusted contact.
• Live GPS for up to 24 hours (background) if you explicitly opt in, Seerie keeps your location updated for up to 24 hours so your trusted contact can reach you, even when the app is in the background. While this is active, a persistent notification is shown. You can stop it at any time, and it stops automatically after 24 hours.

Your location is shared with the trusted contact you chose, not with Seerror. It is included in the message your phone sends; we do not collect or store it on our servers.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect to: create and secure your account and sign you in; back up and restore your chat and scan history when you choose; operate the moderated Community; and run the safety features you activate. We keep only local, on-device counters to understand basic app usage. We do not use your information for advertising, ad targeting, or building a profile of you.

Data sharing and sale

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. The limited cases where data reaches others are ones you control: Community posts are shown publicly to other users, and emergency alerts and location are sent from your phone to the trusted contact you choose. Account and backup data are stored using Google Firebase on our behalf; Firebase processes it to provide those services and not for its own purposes. There are no third-party advertising or tracking SDKs in the app.

Security

Account and backup data are encrypted in transit (over HTTPS via Firebase) between the app and our cloud services. Data held on your device is protected by your device's own security. No system is ever perfectly secure, but we minimise what we collect and protect it accordingly.

Your choices and deletion

• Local-only mode turn off cloud sync and community posting so your chat and scan history stay on your device.
• Delete cloud backup remove your backed-up chat and scan history from our cloud while keeping your account.
• Delete your account delete your account and associated data. See how to delete your account and data for the steps.
• Remove trusted contacts clear them in the app at any time (they were only ever on your device).
• Uninstall removes the app's on-device data, including the downloaded model, saved checks, and settings.

Permissions, and why each is used

Permission	Why Seerie uses it
Internet	One-time model download, sign-in, optional cloud backup, and the Community.
Send SMS	To send your emergency alert to your trusted contact when you tap for help (you trigger it).
Location (fine / coarse)	To add your location to an emergency alert when you choose to include it.
Background location	Only if you opt in to live sharing, keeps your location updated for up to 24 hours during an emergency.
Foreground service	Shows a persistent notification while live location sharing is active.
Bluetooth	Opt-in "Nearby SOS", broadcasts a short-range alert to nearby Seerie users when there's no signal.
Storage	To pick documents to scan and to save or share PDF proof packs.
Camera	Optional, to capture a photo to scan.

Children

Seerie is intended for adults (18 and over) and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, we will update the date at the top of this page and, for material changes, note them in the app or on this page. Continued use of Seerie after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Contact

Questions about this policy or how Seerie handles your data? Reach us through any of the channels below.