1. Who We Are

Zeno (com.mindgridlabs.zeno) is an Android behavioral wellness application designed to help users reduce compulsive smartphone use and protect their privacy from algorithmic profiling. The app is developed and maintained by MindGrid Labs.

Contact: [email protected]

2. Data We Collect

We collect no personal data. Specifically:

• We do not collect your name, email address, phone number, or any identifier.
• We do not have user accounts or authentication.
• We do not use crash analytics, A/B testing, or any first-party analytics SDK.
• We do not collect device identifiers (IMEI, advertising ID from our side, etc.).
• We do not collect usage patterns, screen time data, or app lists from your device to transmit anywhere - these stay locally on your device.

Data processed locally on your device

The app reads and stores the following data locally on your device only, in the app's private storage (SQLite database and SharedPreferences):

• App usage statistics: Screen time per app, session counts, and peak usage hours - used to calculate your addiction score and generate coaching insights.
• App rules and settings: Which apps have friction delays enabled, delay durations, and focus mode preferences.
• Streak and score history: A local log of daily addiction scores and clean-day streaks to track progress over time.
• Focus block history: Study Mode, Deep Work, and Family Time session records used to populate the Weekly Report Card and Achievements.
• Privacy shield settings: Which shields are enabled (noise engine, VPN, clipboard monitor, etc.).

None of this data leaves your device. If you uninstall the app, all data is deleted. Records older than 90 days are automatically pruned.

3. Permissions and Why We Need Them

Permission	Why it's needed	Data shared?
PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS	Reads per-app screen time to calculate your addiction score and usage charts. Processed entirely on-device.	None
BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE	Detects when a guarded app is opened so the friction delay overlay can appear. Also detects scroll events for the scroll-break feature after 18 minutes of continuous scrolling. No text content, passwords, or other sensitive data is read.	None
SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW	Draws the friction delay countdown screen on top of other apps.	None
BIND_VPN_SERVICE	Creates a local TUN/VPN interface for the DNS tracking blocker. All DNS packets are processed on-device; queries to 50,000+ tracking domains return NXDOMAIN. No traffic is routed through any external server.	None
FOREGROUND_SERVICE	Keeps the Privacy Noise Engine and VPN Shield running reliably in the background when enabled by the user.	None
QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES	Required for the Privacy Shield to scan installed apps. Results are displayed only to you, locally.	None
RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED	Allows the app to restore its state (active privacy shields) after device restart without requiring manual re-configuration.	None
INTERNET	Used by two features: (1) the Privacy Noise Engine (when enabled by user) sends random background HTTP requests to dilute your behavioral profile - no personal data included; (2) Google AdMob displays banner and interstitial ads (see Section 4).	AdMob only

4. Third-Party Services - Google AdMob

The app integrates Google Mobile Ads SDK (AdMob) to display:

• Banner ads - shown on the Home screen.
• Interstitial ads - shown when a Focus Mode work session ends.

Google AdMob may collect and process the following as governed by Google's Privacy Policy:

• Android Advertising ID (AAID)
• Device model and OS version
• IP address (for general location inference)
• App interaction data for ad delivery

To opt out of personalized ads, go to Google Settings → Ads → Opt out of Ads Personalization on your device, or visit adssettings.google.com.

Privacy Noise Engine

This feature, when activated by the user, sends random HTTP GET requests to Bing and Wikipedia with generic search queries (e.g., "how to make sourdough bread"). These requests:

• Contain no personal identifiers
• Are deliberate noise to protect your real interests from ad-network profiling
• Are only sent when you explicitly enable this feature
• Use a generic browser User-Agent string

No other third-party analytics, crash reporting, A/B testing, or data-broker services are integrated. There are no Firebase, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Sentry, or equivalent SDKs in the app.

5. Data Security

Because we collect no personal data and all behavioral data stays on-device, the security surface is your device's own storage. The app uses Android's built-in private storage sandbox. No network transmission of your behavioral or personal data occurs.

AdMob network communications are handled by Google's SDK under Google's own security standards.

6. Children's Privacy

Zeno is not directed at children under 13. The app contains focus tools used by students (including minors) under parental supervision. We do not knowingly collect personal information from any user, including children. If you believe a child has shared personal data with us, contact us at the email below and we will investigate.

Note that Google AdMob may be subject to additional restrictions regarding ads served to minors depending on your device's age settings.

7. Changes to This Policy

If we update this privacy policy, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

8. Your Rights

Since we collect no personal data, there is no behavioral data to access, correct, or delete on our end. All data stored locally on your device can be deleted by uninstalling the app.

For data collected by Google AdMob (advertising identifiers), exercise your rights directly through Google's platform at myaccount.google.com.

Users in the EU (GDPR) and California (CCPA) have the right to opt out of personalized advertising - see Section 4 for instructions.

9. Contact

For any questions or concerns about this privacy policy or the app:

• Email: [email protected]
• Play Store listing: Zeno on Google Play