Meowsiam

Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 2, 2026 · Effective: July 2, 2026

Meowsiam ("Meowsiam," "we," "us") is a cat training and cat photo-collection app. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. It applies to the Meowsiam website, iOS app, and Android app (together, the "Service").

1. Information we collect

  • Account information. Email address, display name, and a hashed password when you create an account. Passwords are stored only as salted bcrypt hashes — we never store or see your plaintext password.
  • Photos you take or upload. When you use the Catch feature, the photo you choose is uploaded to our servers, stored privately in your CatDex, and analyzed to identify the cat's breed. Photos are visible only to you. We do not scan your photo library; we only receive photos you explicitly select or take.
  • Training data you enter. Cat names, behaviors, session counts, and notes you log.
  • Usage data. Points, levels, badges, and timestamps generated by your activity in the app.

We do not collect your precise location, contacts, advertising identifiers, or health data, and we do not use third-party advertising or analytics SDKs.

2. Camera and photo permissions

The app requests camera access only when you choose to photograph a cat, and photo library access only when you choose to upload an existing photo. You can use the training features of Meowsiam without ever granting these permissions. You can revoke permissions at any time in your device settings.

3. How we use AI to identify breeds

When you catch a cat, the photo is sent to an AI vision service (Anthropic's Claude API) to identify the likely breed and generate a name and description. The photo is processed for this purpose only and is not used by us to train AI models. Breed results are estimates for entertainment, not veterinary or genetic determinations.

4. How we use your information

  • To provide the Service: accounts, training logs, the CatDex, and leaderboards.
  • To identify breeds in photos you submit.
  • To secure the Service and prevent abuse.
  • To respond to support requests you send us.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for their marketing.

5. Leaderboard visibility

If you appear on the leaderboard, other users can see your display name, level, points, and catch counts — never your email, photos, or cats. You can hide yourself from the leaderboard at any time in Settings → Privacy.

6. Data retention and deletion

Your data is retained while your account is active. You can delete individual catches (which permanently deletes the photo) at any time, and you can delete your entire account in Settings → Delete account. Account deletion permanently removes your account, cats, training history, and all photos from our servers. You can also export all of your data as JSON from Settings.

7. Children's privacy

Meowsiam is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required by your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.

8. Your rights (GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA/CPRA)

Depending on where you live, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you (Settings → Download all my data).
  • Correct inaccurate data (edit your profile at any time).
  • Delete your data (Settings → Delete account, or by contacting us).
  • Data portability (the JSON export).
  • Object to or restrict certain processing.
  • Non-discrimination for exercising these rights (CCPA).

For EU/UK users, our legal bases are performance of a contract (providing the Service) and legitimate interests (security). We do not sell or "share" personal information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA.

9. Security

We use industry-standard measures including hashed passwords (bcrypt), signed session tokens, HTTPS in production, and access controls that restrict every photo and record to its owner. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach affecting your data occurs, we will notify you as required by law.

10. International transfers

Our servers are located in the United States. If you use the Service from elsewhere, your information will be processed in the US under safeguards consistent with this policy.

11. Changes to this policy

We will post any changes here and update the date above. Material changes will be announced in the app before they take effect.

12. Contact

Privacy questions or requests: [email protected] (replace with your production support address before store submission).