01Who we are
AetherShield is a Virtual Private Network app built and maintained by Emmanuel Nsubuga. This policy explains what data we handle when you use the app, how we handle it, and why.
Questions? Email nsubugaemmanuel1@gmail.com. We reply to every message.
02What we collect
We keep this list short on purpose. The app collects:
- Anonymous install identifier. A random ID created on install. It is not linked to your name, email address or any outside account.
- Crash reports. Error details, device model, Android version and app version when the app crashes, collected by Firebase Crashlytics. They contain no VPN traffic and exist only to help us fix bugs.
- App usage statistics. Firebase Analytics automatically records events such as the app being opened and how long a session lasts, along with device model, Android version, app version and approximate country. It does not record the sites you visit or anything you send through the VPN.
- Subscription status. Whether you're on the free or Premium plan, read from Google Play Billing. We never see your payment details.
That's the full list.
03What we don't collect
We have no logs of where you go online. This isn't a policy we might change next quarter. It's how the server is built: it is not set up to record it.
Specifically, we never collect:
- The contents of your VPN traffic
- Websites, apps or services you reach while connected
- Your real IP address stored against your identity
- DNS queries made through the tunnel
- Connection timestamps or session durations tied to you
- Your location beyond what your device's network connection inherently involves
04VPN traffic
When you connect, your traffic is encrypted and routed through our server in Montreal, Canada, hosted by OVHcloud. We don't inspect what passes through it. The proxy's access log is switched off, so no record of the addresses you reach is ever written. Like any network host, the server keeps low-level system counters (such as total bytes in and out), which contain no browsing data and are not tied to an individual user.
The tunnel uses VLESS over TLS, the same transport layer that secures most of the web. Your internet provider sees an encrypted stream going to our server, and nothing more.
One exception, stated plainly: on the free plan, requests made by the advertising SDK to Google's ad servers go directly rather than through the VPN tunnel. This means Google's advertising systems see your real IP address, and so your real country, even while you're connected. Nothing else is excluded: your browsing, your DNS queries and every other app on your device stay inside the tunnel. We do this because advertisers pay for ads shown to real users in real places. Routing ad requests through our server made every user look like they came from one datacentre, which is indistinguishable from fraud. Premium users see no ads, so nothing leaves the tunnel for them.
05Advertising
On the free plan, ads are served inside the app by Google AdMob. These include native ads shown within app screens, full-screen ads (for example when you connect or open the app), and optional rewarded ads you can choose to watch for extra session time. AdMob may collect your device's advertising ID, IP address and approximate location to serve and measure ads. This happens on Google's systems under Google's privacy policy, and we don't receive that data.
In the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, we ask for your consent before any ads load, using Google's certified consent platform. You can change your choice at any time from Settings → Ad Privacy Options in the app.
You can also opt out of personalised ads in your Android settings: Settings → Google → Ads → Delete advertising ID.
Premium subscribers see no ads at all.
06Service availability
AetherShield is not available in every country. Connections from regions we don't serve are declined at our server, and the app tells you so rather than silently failing to connect.
07Ad & tracker blocking
Premium users can turn on DNS-level ad and tracker blocking. When it's on, DNS lookups go through our AdGuard Home server inside the tunnel. Its query log is switched off, so individual lookups are not recorded. It keeps only aggregate counts for the last day, such as how many lookups were blocked, which are not linked to any user.
08Optional features
A few features contact another service, and only when you use them:
- Cloud backup and share codes. When you tap Backup, your saved server configurations are stored in Google Firebase under a random backup key, so you can restore them on another phone. Premium share codes are stored the same way. Neither is linked to your name or email.
- Dark Web Monitor. The email address you type is sent to the XposedOrNot breach database to check it against known breaches. We don't store it.
- IP & DNS leak test. The app asks ipify.org and ipinfo.io which address they can see, so those services receive your device's IP address.
09Payments & subscriptions
Subscriptions are processed entirely by Google Play Billing. We never receive your card number, billing address or other payment details, and Google's privacy policy governs that data. We receive only confirmation that a purchase was made and which product it was.
10Third-party services
The app uses these external services:
We are not responsible for the data practices of these services. Their own policies govern how they use data.
11Data retention
Crash reports and usage statistics are kept by Firebase under its retention settings, after which they are deleted automatically. Subscription status is kept while your subscription is active. Cloud backups are kept until you ask us to delete them. No VPN usage data is retained, because none is collected.
12Children's privacy
AetherShield is not intended for children under 13. If you believe a child has submitted personal data through the app, contact us and we will delete it promptly.
13Your rights
You can ask for access to, correction of, or deletion of any personal data we hold. Send a request to nsubugaemmanuel1@gmail.com and we will reply within 30 days. In practice there is very little to hand over, which is the point.
14Security
Traffic through the VPN is encrypted in transit. Our server runs on OVHcloud infrastructure, and we apply security patches promptly. We follow the principle of least privilege: the server processes only what it needs to forward your encrypted traffic.
15Changes to this policy
If we make material changes to this policy, we'll tell users through an in-app notice before they take effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page always shows the latest revision. Continuing to use the app after a change is posted means you accept the updated terms.
16Contact
For privacy questions, data requests or concerns, email nsubugaemmanuel1@gmail.com. We're a small team and we read every message.