Privacy Policy for Animus

Effective Date: October 20, 2026
Last Updated: October 24, 2026

Animus ("we", "our", or "the application") is an independent, offline-first personal gaming notebook and strategy companion designed and maintained by Cesar Torres.

We believe your gaming notes, strategies, screenshots, and credentials are fundamentally private. Animus is built around a Zero-Telemetry, Local-First, Bring-Your-Own-Key (BYOK) architecture.

1. Summary of Core Privacy Commitments

• No Developer Backend: Animus operates with zero developer servers. There is no tracking database, user account server, analytics relay, or advertising network operated by Animus.
• Zero Telemetry or Analytics: Animus does not collect diagnostic crash data, user engagement tracking, session IDs, device identifiers, or usage logs. The free assistant is the only feature that involves a device attestation token (Google Play Integrity, via Firebase App Check), which is sent to Google to protect the shared quota and does not identify you to Animus. Google's Firebase SDK also sends Google standard app and SDK metadata with free-assistant requests.
• Hardware-Isolated BYOK Credentials: API keys for AI providers (Google Gemini, OpenRouter, Anthropic, or Local Ollama) are stored exclusively in hardware-backed secure storage (AndroidKeyStore AES-256-GCM / iOS Keychain Services). They are never exposed to snapshots or backups.
• Direct-to-Provider AI Communication: When you submit a question or attach an in-game screenshot with your own key, requests travel directly from your device's network stack to your configured AI provider over encrypted HTTPS (TLS). No Animus proxy exists. The one exception is the optional free assistant, which sends question text (never screenshots) to Google Gemini through Google's Firebase AI Logic service; see How the free assistant works.
• Store-Safe Display & Dynamic Box Art: Shipped application binaries contain zero third-party game box art or copyrighted assets. Game cover lookups are dynamically initiated at runtime via public Wikipedia queries and can be entirely disabled in Vault settings ("Store-Safe Cartridge Icon Mode").
• Right to Erasure (GDPR & App Store 5.1.1): You maintain total control over your data. A one-tap "Wipe All Local & Cloud Data" action permanently deletes all on-device database records, cached images, hardware-backed keys, and remote cloud snapshots.

2. Information Handled by Animus

A. Local Game Library & Sticky Notes

• What is stored: Game titles, platforms, current objectives, user-created categories, bullet points, markdown guides, spoiler tags, and checklist states.
• Where it is stored: Locally on the device in an encrypted/sandboxed JSON snapshot (LocalDatabaseStorage).
• Who has access: Only you on your local device.

B. Hardware-Backed API Keys (BYOK)

• What is stored: User-supplied API keys for Google AI Studio (AIza...), OpenRouter (sk-or-...), or Anthropic Claude (sk-ant-...).
• Where it is stored: Hardware Keystore / Secure Enclave on Android (AndroidKeyStore AES-256-GCM) and iOS (kSecClassGenericPassword with kSecAttrAccessibleAfterFirstUnlockThisDeviceOnly).
• Security Guarantee: Keys are strictly isolated from the repository snapshot and are never included in database exports or debug logs.

C. In-Game Screenshots & AI Queries

• What is processed: Optional user-selected images (e.g., boss encounters, skill trees, inventory menus) and prompt questions.
• How it is processed: Images are encoded directly into memory and sent via encrypted HTTPS request to your chosen AI model endpoint. Animus does not retain screenshot history once the resulting Sticky Note is auto-cataloged.
• Provider Policies: When querying an external AI provider, the processing of that specific query is governed by the respective provider's terms:
  • Free Animus assistant (details, limits and data use): your question text (no screenshots) goes to Google's Gemini API through Firebase AI Logic. Google may use free-tier prompts to improve its products, so do not put anything private in a free question. Firebase App Check sends a device attestation token (Google Play Integrity) with each request so only genuine Animus builds can use the shared quota. Animus has no account system and does not link questions to you. Add your own key in Settings to leave the free tier.
  • Google Gemini: Google Privacy Policy & Generative AI Terms
  • Anthropic Claude: Anthropic Privacy Policy
  • OpenRouter: OpenRouter Privacy Terms
  • Local Ollama: 100% private over your local home Wi-Fi network with zero Internet traffic.

D. No Cloud Sync

• Animus does not upload your library to any server. Your games, categories, and sticky notes stay on your device.
• To move data between devices you can export and import a JSON backup yourself. Exports contain your library only: never API keys and never provider settings (such as a local Ollama address).

3. Data Retention & Right to Erasure (GDPR Article 17 & Apple Guideline 5.1.1)

You have the complete right to permanently erase all data at any time:

1. Open Vault (⚙️ tab).
2. Scroll to the ⚖️ Data Privacy, Right to Erasure & Legal Compliance card.
3. Tap 🗑 Wipe All Local Data, then tap ⚠️ Confirm Permanent Erase.

Upon confirmation:

• All local database files, games, categories, sticky notes, and cached images are permanently erased.
• All hardware-backed API keys across all providers are purged from AndroidKeyStore / iOS Keychain.

4. Children's Privacy (COPPA & GDPR-K)

Animus does not solicit, collect, or store personal information from children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in the European Economic Area). The application does not require user accounts, email addresses, or personally identifiable information.

5. Contact & Inquiries

If you have questions, feedback, or verification inquiries regarding this Privacy Policy or Animus's security architecture, you may open an issue or contact:

• Developer: Cesar Torres
• GitHub Repository: https://github.com/ctorres345/Animus