Your Data.
Your Device.

1. Introduction

Welcome to Blockout ("we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how Blockout operates as a fully local application across all supported platforms.

Our core principle: Your data belongs to you. Blockout is designed from the ground up to operate entirely on your device — no cloud servers, no remote processing, no external data transmission.

2. How the VPN Service Works

How Does It Work?

Blockout uses Android's native VPN feature to create a strictly local firewall on your device.

Is My Data Sent to a Server?

No. Never. The VPN operates entirely on your device. All traffic filtering happens locally:

• All processing happens on your device only
• No data is sent to any remote server or cloud service
• We don't decrypt, inspect, or log your browsing activity
• Blocked apps are stopped before they can connect to the internet

All Platforms Supported

• Android (Phone/Tablet/Foldable): Works on all Android devices
• Chrome OS: Runs within Chrome OS's Android environment
• Aluminum OS: Full desktop support with advanced interface detection

3. Permissions We Request

Blockout requires specific Android permissions to provide its core functionality. Here's what each permission does and why we need it:

Permissions We DO NOT Request

• NO access to your contacts, call logs, or SMS messages
• NO access to your camera or microphone
• NO access to your precise or approximate location
• NO access to your photos or media files (except for export functionality)

4. Data Collection & Usage

What Data Does Blockout Collect?

Blockout collects the minimum data necessary to provide firewall functionality — and all of it stays on your device:

• Installed Apps: Names and icons of apps on your device so you can create rules for them
• Data Usage: How much WiFi and mobile data each app uses
• Firewall Rules: Your custom settings for which apps can access the internet
• Connection Logs (Optional): Records of blocked connections if you enable logging
• App Settings: Your preferences like theme, schedules, and game mode settings

Where Is This Data Stored?

All data is stored securely on your device only in an encrypted database:

• Android: Stored in the app's private secure storage
• Chrome OS: Stored within the isolated Android environment
• Aluminum OS: Optionally exported to your Documents folder for backups

How Is This Data Used?

• To enforce your firewall rules and block/allow apps based on your configuration
• To display data usage statistics and charts in the app dashboard
• To apply Digital Wellbeing schedules and usage limits
• To auto-engage Game Mode when you launch a game from your whitelist

The data is NEVER:

• Transmitted to any remote server or cloud storage
• Shared with third parties (except Google AdMob for ads — see Section 7)
• Used for analytics, profiling, or tracking
• Sold or monetized in any way

7. Third-Party Services

Google AdMob (Optional Advertising)

Blockout may display advertisements using Google AdMob to support development costs. AdMob may collect limited data to serve personalized ads:

• Advertising ID: A resettable device identifier (you can reset this in Android Settings → Privacy → Ads)
• Approximate Location: Derived from your IP address (not precise GPS)
• App Interactions: When you view or click ads

For more information, please review Google's Privacy Policy.

No Other Third-Party SDKs

Blockout does not integrate any other third-party analytics, crash reporting, or tracking SDKs. The only external service is Google AdMob for optional ads.

DNS Services (Optional)

If you enable DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) in Advanced Settings, Blockout may forward DNS queries to public DoH providers like Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8). These queries are subject to the providers' privacy policies. You can disable DoH to use your ISP's DNS.

8. Platform-Specific Privacy Considerations

🤖 Android (Phone, Tablet, Foldable)

• Data is stored securely in the app's private space — other apps cannot access it
• Logs never leave your device unless you manually export them
• On Android 13+, you must grant notification permission for alerts

💻 Chrome OS

• Blockout runs in Chrome OS's Android environment
• Your data is completely isolated from the Chrome OS system
• You can manually export settings to your Downloads folder if needed

🖥️ Aluminum OS

• Logs and backups are stored in your Documents/Blockout folder
• These folders are only created if you enable export or backup features
• Notifications appear in your system notification center

9. Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights regarding your data:

Right to Access

All your firewall rules, usage stats, and logs are accessible directly in the Blockout app. Go to Advanced Settings → Debug Console to view raw logs.

Right to Export

You can export your firewall rules and settings for backup from Advanced Settings → Backup & Restore. Logs can also be exported from the Debug Console.

Right to Deletion

To delete all your data:

• Go to Android Settings → Apps → Blockout → Storage → Clear Data
• Or uninstall the app entirely — this removes all local data

Note: Since all data is local, deletion is permanent and cannot be recovered.

Right to Opt-Out of Ads

To disable personalized ads:

• Android Settings → Privacy → Ads → Opt out of Ads Personalization
• Or upgrade to Blockout Pro (when available) for an ad-free experience

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as Blockout evolves. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Material changes will be announced in the app via a one-time notification
• The updated policy will be posted at obieda-hussien.github.io/Blockout/privacy_policy.html

Your continued use of Blockout after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.