Who we are
Effective Date: August 2026
Welcome to Scout.
Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how Scout collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our website, mobile application, and related services.
At Scout, we believe your personal safety and your digital privacy are paramount. We do not collect, store, sell, or transmit your voice, ambient trail audio, or precise GPS coordinates to any remote cloud servers. All processing required to run our wildlife early-warning acoustic monitoring engine happens locally and instantly on your physical device.
Our Philosophy
Scout was created to help people spend more time enjoying nature—not more time worrying about technology. We believe your personal information belongs to you. We collect only the information necessary to provide Scout’s features and continually work to protect your privacy.
Types of Data & Method of Processing
Acoustic Audio Data:
How we use it: The app utilizes your device’s built-in microphone array or your premium ESP32-S3 external hardware accessory to monitor environmental trail sounds.
Storage/Transmission: This audio stream is fed directly into a local volatile memory buffer to be processed by your phone’s on-device Machine Learning engine (Apple Neural Engine). It is processed in short 0.5-second windows. Raw audio data is never written to permanent disk storage and is never uploaded over cellular or Wi-Fi networks.
Geospatial Location Data:
How we use it: The app accesses your local device coordinates strictly to map vector trail lines, display local topology scales, and calculate directional tracking vectors relative to your position.
Storage/Transmission: Your precise location tracking paths remain locked in your local application cache for offline usage. We do not track your location in the background when the app is closed, and we do not maintain central logs of your hiking routes.
Local Peer to Peer
When utilizing the Emergency Backup Mesh SOS feature, the app broadcasts a highly compressed, encrypted data bundle (containing a generalized threat label, directional angle, and local timestamp) using standard local device radio waves (Bluetooth and Peer-to-Peer Wi-Fi).
No cellular towers, internet routing, or global servers are used to manage this mesh connection.
This broadcast is entirely localized and decentralized.
It is transmitted only to other active UrsusAI users within your immediate physical vicinity (typically a 100-to-300-foot radius).
Information We Collect
Depending on how you use Scout, we may collect:
Account Information
- Name
- Email address
- Account preferences
Location Information
With your permission, Scout may access your device’s location to:
- Display nearby trails
- Provide hiking awareness features
- Improve navigation
- Support Live Trail functionality
Location access is optional and can be disabled through your device settings.
Hiking Activity
If enabled, Scout may store:
- Active hikes
- Trail selections
- Saved favorites
- Personal observations
- Completed hikes
This information helps provide a personalized hiking experience.
Device Information
We may collect limited technical information including:
- Device type
- Operating system
- App version
- Anonymous crash reports
- Performance diagnostics
This information helps improve Scout’s reliability.
What We Do Not Sell
Scout does not sell your personal information.
We do not sell:
- Location history
- Hiking activity
- Personal observations
- Email addresses
Your information is never sold to advertisers.
How We Use Information
Information may be used to:
- Provide Scout services
- Improve hiking recommendations
- Synchronize your account across devices
- Improve application performance
- Respond to support requests
- Maintain platform security
Scout Atlas
Scout Atlas is the knowledge system behind Scout.
Information contributed by users may help improve trail knowledge.
Personal information is separated from shared trail knowledge whenever possible.
Anonymous observations may be incorporated into Scout Atlas to improve future hiking experiences.
AI Features
Some Scout features may use artificial intelligence.
When AI features are used:
- Processing occurs only after user initiation.
- Images or requests are sent only to the selected AI provider.
- Scout does not use your content to train AI models.
- API keys remain under your control.
Cookies
Our website may use cookies to:
- Remember preferences
- Maintain sessions
- Improve performance
- Understand general website usage
You may disable cookies in your browser.
Data Security
We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards to protect your information.
No online service can guarantee absolute security, but we continually work to protect your data.
Children’s Privacy
Scout is not intended for children under 13.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Your Choices
You may:
- Update your profile
- Delete saved hikes
- Disable location services
- Request account deletion
- Contact us regarding your information
Changes
This Privacy Policy may occasionally be updated.
The current version will always be available on our website.
Contact
Questions?
Please contact us through our Support page.
Scout was created with a simple belief: the natural world deserves our respect.
We encourage responsible hiking, thoughtful exploration, and Leave No Trace principles. Every trail is a shared place, and every hike is an opportunity to protect the landscapes that inspire us.
Our goal is to build technology that helps people connect more deeply with nature while preserving it for future generations.