SCAM SHIELD AI

Privacy Policy

Publisher: Tarionix LLC

Effective Date: September 25, 2026

Public URL: https://tarionix.com/scamshieldaiprivacypolicy

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy explains the data practices of Scam Shield AI, an Android application published by Tarionix LLC. Scam Shield AI helps users review suspicious messages, links, QR-code payloads, and text extracted from screenshots.

Scam Shield AI provides advisory results based on observable indicators. No analysis can guarantee that content is legitimate, safe, malicious, or fraudulent. Users should independently verify important requests through trusted channels.

2. How Analysis Works

Scam Shield AI applies deterministic rules and structural checks to content that a user chooses to analyze. The deterministic scam-analysis engines execute locally on-device and do not send analyzed content to a cloud analysis service. The product name does not mean that this release uses a machine-learning or large-language model to classify scams.

Scam Shield AI does not request the Android `INTERNET` permission, and the implemented analysis performs no network operations. User-submitted analysis content is not transmitted by Scam Shield AI to Tarionix or cloud analysis services.

Depending on the selected feature, analysis content may include:

- text pasted or shared into the app;

- a URL entered or shared into the app;

- a decoded QR-code payload; or

- text extracted from a screenshot selected by the user.

The app does not require an account or profile. Tarionix does not operate a cloud scam-analysis backend for the app. Scam Shield AI does not sell analysis content, use it to build advertising profiles, or use it to train models. The app contains no advertising SDK and no Tarionix analytics or telemetry service.

3. Screenshot Text Recognition

When a user chooses a screenshot, Scam Shield AI receives access to that selected image through Android Photo Picker or its platform fallback. The app does not request broad gallery, media, or storage permission.

Text is extracted with the bundled ML Kit Text Recognition model and shown to the user for review before local scam analysis. Scam Shield AI does not upload the selected image or extracted text to Tarionix and does not retain the selected image as an application file.

Android Photo Picker may display media supplied by an eligible local or cloud media provider. Provider-side retrieval needed to make a user-selected item available is controlled by Android and the selected provider, outside Scam Shield AI's analysis pipeline and Tarionix's control.

4. QR Code Scanning

Scam Shield AI uses Google Code Scanner, a Google Play Services component, to present the scanner and decode QR codes. Scam Shield AI itself does not request the Android `CAMERA` permission. Google Play Services performs the scanner function and returns the decoded value to the app.

Scam Shield AI analyzes the decoded value locally. It does not automatically open links, connect to Wi-Fi, initiate payments, place calls, send messages, or execute embedded actions.

Google states that Code Scanner image processing occurs on the device and that it does not store scan results or image data. Google Play Services may install or update the scanner module and may handle limited diagnostics or usage data under Google's terms and privacy disclosures. Code Scanner auto-zoom is enabled in this release; Google's ML Kit disclosure identifies limited scanning-session and auto-zoom event information that may be collected for diagnostics and usage analytics.

5. Optional Local History

History is optional and disabled by default. If a user enables it, Scam Shield AI stores minimized assessment summaries in app-private local storage. A summary may include the assessment type, risk or handling level, finding count, category identifiers, a generic sanitized preview, and a timestamp.

History does not store raw message text, complete URLs, URL query parameters, credentials, screenshot images, extracted OCR text, or raw QR payloads. History is capped at 50 records. Users can delete an individual record, clear all History, or disable future saving. Disabling History does not automatically delete existing records; users can use the clear control to delete them.

The app does not provide cloud sync or cross-device synchronization. Cloud backup and device-transfer rules exclude the app's private files and preferences, and Android backup is disabled for the application.

6. Permissions

The release does not request the Android permissions for:

- `INTERNET`;

- `CAMERA`;

- location;

- contacts;

- SMS;

- call logs or phone state;

- microphone;

- broad media or storage access; or

- another dangerous runtime permission.

The merged release manifest contains `ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE`, a normal permission introduced by Google Play Services dependencies for module and connectivity checks. It does not grant the ability to open network sockets. The manifest also contains an app-scoped signature permission generated by AndroidX for receiver protection.

7. Third-Party Platform and Service Components

Scam Shield AI relies on platform or SDK components for limited functions:

- Google Code Scanner / Google Play Services presents the scanner, uses the camera through Google Play Services, may obtain scanner modules when needed, and returns decoded results to the app.

- ML Kit Text Recognition supplies the bundled OCR model and supporting runtime components.

- Android Photo Picker or its platform fallback lets the user grant access to a selected image instead of the whole media library.

Google's ML Kit Android disclosure states that ML Kit SDKs may collect limited device information, application information, per-installation identifiers, performance metrics, API configuration, input/output size, feature version, event type, and error codes for diagnostics and usage analytics. Google states that the listed data is encrypted in transit and is not transferred to third parties. These provider practices are distinct from Tarionix's local scam-analysis engine.

The presence of a provider component does not mean Tarionix receives user-submitted analysis content. Google Play Data Safety classifications for provider-mediated data are reviewed separately under Google's current definitions and are not finalized by this Privacy Policy.

8. Data Retention

User-submitted analysis content is processed transiently in memory unless the optional, minimized History feature is enabled. Selected screenshot images are not retained by Scam Shield AI. Local History remains until the user deletes it, the 50-record cap evicts an older summary, or app-private data is removed. Android normally removes app-private data when an app is uninstalled, subject to platform behavior.

If a user voluntarily emails Tarionix support, Tarionix receives the email address, message, and any information the user chooses to include. Support email is outside the app-analysis pipeline and is not app telemetry. Tarionix may retain support correspondence as reasonably necessary to answer the request, maintain support records, protect its services, or meet legal obligations. Users should not send passwords, payment information, or sensitive analysis content through support email.

9. Data Sharing and Sale

Tarionix does not sell personal data. Scam Shield AI does not send analysis content to Tarionix, advertisers, data brokers, or a cloud analysis provider. Tarionix does not use user analysis content for model training.

Limited provider diagnostics described above are governed by the relevant provider's documentation and policies. They must be assessed under the current Google Play Data Safety definitions when the publisher completes the Play declaration.

10. Advertising and Accounts

Scam Shield AI contains no advertising SDK and no Tarionix analytics or telemetry SDK. It does not require account creation and does not create an advertising identifier profile, account profile, or cross-app tracking profile.

11. Security and Limitations

Tarionix uses reasonable safeguards appropriate to the app's design, including data minimization, app-private storage for optional History, disabled Android backup, and review-before-action flows for QR results and extracted text. No security measure or detection method is perfect. Analysis results are advisory. No strong scam indicators being detected does not guarantee legitimacy.

12. User Choices

Users can:

- choose whether to submit text, URLs, QR codes, or screenshots for analysis;

- cancel Android Photo Picker or Google Code Scanner;

- review extracted screenshot text before analysis;

- keep History disabled;

- enable or disable future History saving;

- delete individual History summaries;

- clear all local History; and

- uninstall the app to remove app-private local data under normal Android behavior.

13. Changes to This Policy

Tarionix may update this policy when the app's features, dependencies, legal requirements, or data practices change. An updated policy will identify its effective date. Material changes will be reflected in the application listing or other notices when required.

14. Intended Audience and Younger Users

Scam Shield AI is intended for teen and adult users. It is not specifically designed for young children.

The app does not require an account, does not include advertising, does not provide public social or user-generated-content features, and does not intentionally transmit user-submitted scam-analysis content to Tarionix for cloud analysis.

Some users who are minors may use the app depending on applicable local laws and Google Play requirements. Tarionix seeks to limit data processing and permissions to what is necessary for the app's functionality and maintains its Google Play disclosures and privacy practices accordingly.

Younger users should involve a parent, guardian, or trusted adult when a suspicious request involves money, credentials, threats, or personal information.

15. Contact Tarionix

Tarionix LLC

Website: https://tarionix.com

Support and privacy inquiries: support@tarionix.com

The canonical public location for this policy is:

https://tarionix.com/scamshieldaiprivacypolicy