Privacy Policy for Explorer

Last updated: April 23, 2026

Introduction

Billion Labs ("we," "our," or "us") operates the Explorer mobile application and the related personal-AI service (collectively, the "Service"). This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use the Service and the choices you have associated with that data.

Information Collection and Use

Account Information

Explorer signs you in using anonymous Firebase Authentication. This means:

• We do not require your name, email, phone number, or any social-login profile to use the app.
• An anonymous, randomly generated User ID is created and stored locally on your device and on our servers to keep your chat history and preferences associated with your install.
• Device Information: Device type, operating system version, and app version are collected for compatibility, crash reporting, and product analytics.
• If you separately provide a phone number to receive your daily feed via WhatsApp, that number is stored only for the purpose of message delivery.

Data You Provide in Chat

• Text messages you send to the Explorer assistant.
• Voice messages you record. Voice files are uploaded to Firebase Storage under your user namespace (users/{your-uid}/chat/) and may be transcribed to text for processing.
• Stated preferences — topics of interest, regions, opinions, follow-ups — that you share during conversation.
• Article context — when you ask about a specific article from your feed, the article ID and a summary of its content are associated with the conversation.

Data We Do Not Collect

We want to be clear about what we do not collect:

• We do not collect your real name, email, or phone number unless you explicitly provide one for WhatsApp delivery.
• We do not track your precise location.
• We do not collect your browsing history outside the app.
• We do not access other apps, your contacts, your calendar, or your photo library.
• We do not collect biometric data.
• We do not record audio without your explicit action to start a recording.

Usage Analytics

• App Analytics: Feature usage, session duration, and performance metrics (anonymised against your random User ID).
• Chat Metadata: Message counts, timestamps, and AI response latency to improve quality.
• Feed Engagement: Which articles you open or skip, used to refine future recommendations.
• Error Reports: Crash logs and error reports to improve app stability.

Data Shared with Third-Party AI Services

Explorer uses Google's Gemini family of models (via Google Vertex AI) to power its chat, transcription, and content-personalisation features. The following describes exactly what is shared with Google, how, and what is not shared.

What Data Is Sent

• Chat messages and stated preferences: The text of your messages — including topics of interest, opinions, and follow-up questions you voluntarily share — is sent to Google Vertex AI for processing.
• Voice transcripts: Audio you record is transcribed to text; the transcript (not the raw audio) is then forwarded to the AI model along with your conversation context.
• Article context: If you ask about a specific news article, a summary or excerpt of that article may be sent alongside your query so the model can answer accurately.

What Data Is NOT Sent

• Your name, phone number, email address, or any account credentials are never shared with third-party AI services.
• Your device information, location data, IP address, or unique device identifiers are not sent to the AI model.
• Your browsing history, contacts, or any data from other apps on your device are not shared.

Who the Data Is Sent To

• Google (Vertex AI / Gemini): Google LLC, based in the United States. Use of the Vertex AI API is governed by the Google Cloud Data Processing Addendum and Google's Privacy Policy.

How the Data Is Sent

• All data is transmitted securely via encrypted HTTPS (TLS) connections.
• Data is sent through our backend servers (not directly from your device to Google), allowing us to strip any personally identifiable information before forwarding.
• We use Vertex AI configurations that, where available, opt out of customer data being used to train Google's general-purpose models.

Your Consent

• By using the chat feature you consent to the sharing described above.
• You may withdraw consent at any time by deleting the app and contacting us at support@billionlabs.in to request deletion of any associated data.
• Without consent, the AI chat and personalised feed features will be unavailable.

Storage of Data

Server Storage

• Chat messages, voice recordings, transcripts, and AI responses may be stored on our servers (Google Firebase / Firestore / Cloud Storage) to deliver the Service, improve quality, and provide history across sessions.
• We retain this data for as long as necessary for the purposes described above or as required by law.
• Upon verified request, we will delete or anonymise your data from our systems, subject to legal or legitimate business obligations.

Local Storage

• Some recordings, downloaded media, and cached data may be stored locally on your device to support offline access and faster load times.
• You can clear locally stored data through your device's app-storage settings or by uninstalling the app.
• Local data is protected by your device's security features.

Third-Party Cloud Infrastructure

• We use Google Firebase and Google Cloud Platform to host and process data on our behalf under strict contractual and security obligations.
• All data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256).
• Access to your data is strictly controlled and monitored.

How We Use Your Information

• AI Chat: Generate responses, summaries, and recommendations.
• Transcription: Convert your voice messages to text using AI.
• Content Personalisation: Curate your daily news feed based on your stated preferences and engagement.
• App Improvement: Analyse aggregate usage patterns to enhance features and reliability.
• Communication: Send important updates and (if enabled) news digests via push or WhatsApp.
• Technical Support: Diagnose and resolve issues you report.

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We DO NOT sell your personal data to third parties.

We may share information in these limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: Google Firebase / Cloud Platform for hosting, storage, and analytics; Amazon Web Services (S3) for media asset storage.
• Third-Party AI Services: Google Vertex AI / Gemini for chat processing, transcription, and content personalisation. Only your chat messages, voice transcripts, and stated content preferences are shared — no personal identifiers are sent. See "Data Shared with Third-Party AI Services" above for full details.
• Messaging Providers: If you opt into WhatsApp delivery, your phone number and the message payload are sent to WhatsApp / Meta solely for delivery.
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or legal process.
• Safety: To protect the rights, property, or safety of users or the public.
• Business Transfers: In case of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale.

Third-Party Services

Explorer integrates with the following third-party services, each with its own privacy policy:

• Google Firebase — anonymous authentication, Firestore database, Cloud Storage, and analytics.
• Google Vertex AI / Gemini — chat, transcription, and content personalisation; receives only chat messages, transcripts, and stated preferences with no personal identifiers.
• Amazon Web Services (S3) — storage of generated media assets.
• WhatsApp / Meta — optional message delivery channel for users who provide a phone number.

Your Privacy Rights

Access and Control

• Access: View your chat history and stored preferences inside the app.
• Delete: Remove individual messages and recordings, or request deletion of your entire data set by emailing support@billionlabs.in.
• Correct: Update or restate your preferences at any time through the chat.

Communication Preferences

• Notifications: Control push notifications in your device settings.
• WhatsApp Delivery: Opt out at any time by replying STOP or contacting support.
• Analytics: Request opt-out of analytics by contacting support.

Data Retention

• Active Installs: Data retained while the app is installed and in use.
• Deleted Messages: Permanently deleted within 30 days.
• Account Deletion Request: All associated data deleted within 90 days of a verified request.
• Legal Hold: We may retain data longer if required by law.
• Backups: Data in encrypted backups is deleted according to our backup retention policy.

Children's Privacy

Explorer is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us to have the information removed.

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, including the United States and the European Union, where Google Cloud and our other providers operate. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information during such transfers, including:

• Google Cloud Platform's global infrastructure and security controls.
• Compliance with applicable data protection regulations.
• Contractual protections (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) for international data transfers.

Security of Data

The security of your data is important to us. We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the nature of the data, including:

• Encryption: TLS in transit and AES-256 at rest.
• Access Controls: Role-based access and Firebase Security Rules that restrict each user to their own data.
• Monitoring: Continuous logging and threat detection.
• Data Minimisation: We collect and retain only what is necessary.

While no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, we work to protect your information and continuously improve our security practices.

Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access, update, or delete your data.
• Control when and how recording takes place.
• Receive a copy of your data in a portable format.
• Withdraw consent for microphone or other permissions through your device settings.
• Request deletion of server-stored data.
• Opt out of having your data used to improve our models.

Compliance with Laws

This privacy policy is designed to be compliant with relevant privacy laws and regulations, including:

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — European Union
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) — United States
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) — India
• Apple App Store and Google Play Store guidelines
• Industry best practices for mobile application privacy

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy in the app.
• Sending a notification through the app.
• Updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy.

Your continued use of Explorer after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

Contact Us

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

• Email: support@billionlabs.in
• Website: https://billionlabs.in