Terms of Use

Last updated: 2026-09-03

Plain-language summary: LocalGuide is free, offline software that runs an AI model on your device. Its output — including translations — is general information only, not professional advice, and may be wrong. Verify important information and consult a qualified person before acting. In an emergency, contact local emergency services. We never see what you type.

1. Who we are and what these Terms cover

These Terms of Use (“Terms”) are an agreement between you and Marshall Cahill, an individual resident in Arizona, United States, who publishes the LocalGuide application (“the App”) through the Neighborhood Safe project at neighborhoodsafe.org. In these Terms, “we”, “us” and “our” mean Marshall Cahill and any successor or assignee under Section 14.

These Terms govern the App as we distribute it — for example through Google Play or from neighborhoodsafe.org. The App’s source code is separately licensed under the Apache License 2.0; nothing in these Terms limits the rights that licence grants you in the source code.

2. Acceptance and who may use the App

By installing or using the App, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the App. You can end this agreement at any time by uninstalling the App.

You must be at least 13 years old, or the minimum age of digital consent where you live if that is higher, to use the App. If you are under 18, use the App with a parent or guardian. Because AI responses can be inaccurate or unsuitable, the App is not designed for unsupervised use by young children.

3. The App is free and offline

LocalGuide is provided free of charge, with no advertising, no account, no subscription, and no collection of your data. It is not offered in the course of any trade or business. After the one-time model download described in the Privacy Policy, the App runs an AI language model entirely on your device and needs no network connection.

4. AI output is information, not advice

The App generates its responses with a statistical language model. AI output may be inaccurate, incomplete, out of date, or simply wrong, and may differ from one run to the next.

You understand that the App has no way to verify what it produces, and you accept that risk when you use it. You are responsible for evaluating the App’s output and for any decision or action you take based on it. You agree not to rely on the App as the sole basis for any decision affecting health, safety, legal rights, finances, or immigration status, and to consult a qualified professional or local authority on those matters.

5. Acceptable use

You agree not to use the App to violate any law, to generate unlawful content, to harm or harass anyone, or in any manner inconsistent with these Terms or with the export and sanctions rules in Section 11. You agree not to remove any copyright, licence, or attribution notice from the App.

To the extent permitted by law, you will hold us harmless from claims arising out of your own unlawful use of the App or your breach of these Terms. This does not apply where local consumer law prohibits it.

6. Your content, and our names and marks

Everything you type into the App, and everything the App produces for you, stays on your device. We never receive it and claim no rights in it; to the extent the law allows, it is yours.

The names LocalGuide and Neighborhood Safe and their logos are our trademarks. The Apache License 2.0 (Section 6 of that licence) does not grant trademark rights. You may build from the source code, but not use our names or logos on what you build without our permission.

7. Privacy

The App sends nothing you type to us or to anyone else. Its only network use is the one-time download of the AI model, which reveals to the file host only what any download reveals (such as your IP address). The Privacy Policy describes this in full.

8. Third-party components and the AI model

The App includes open-source components, for example llama.cpp (MIT License) and SQLCipher (BSD-style license). Attributions and licence terms are listed in the App under Settings → Licenses and in NOTICES.md.

The AI model in the App, Qwen3.5-2B, is developed by Alibaba Cloud and licensed under the Apache License 2.0. A complete copy of that licence is included in the App under Settings → Licenses → View full licence text, and is published alongside the model download at neighborhoodsafe.org/qwen-license.txt. Your use of the model is also subject to that licence. It places no revenue limit and no user-count condition on commercial use.

9. No warranty

THE APP IS PROVIDED “AS IS”, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE APP OR ITS OUTPUT WILL BE ACCURATE, COMPLETE, ERROR-FREE, OR SUITABLE FOR ANY PURPOSE. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties; in those, the exclusions above apply to the fullest extent permitted.

10. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW:

(a) Excluded damages. WE — INCLUDING ANY SUCCESSOR OR ASSIGNEE — AND THE APP’S CONTRIBUTORS AND LICENSORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES; FOR ANY LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, REVENUE, GOODWILL, OR ANTICIPATED SAVINGS; FOR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION OR THE COST OF SUBSTITUTE SERVICES; OR FOR ANY LOSS ARISING FROM RELIANCE ON THE APP OR ITS AI OUTPUT — HOWEVER CAUSED, ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE, AND EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

(b) Aggregate cap. OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATING TO THE APP WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (i) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US FOR THE APP IN THE TWELVE MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE, OR (ii) ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS (US$100).

(c) Basis of the bargain. THE APP IS PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE. THESE LIMITS ARE AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THAT ARRANGEMENT AND REFLECT AN ALLOCATION OF RISK BETWEEN US; WITHOUT THEM THE APP WOULD NOT BE PROVIDED. THEY APPLY EVEN IF ANY LIMITED REMEDY IS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE, AND THEY SURVIVE TERMINATION OF THESE TERMS.

(d) Time limit. To the extent permitted by applicable law, any claim relating to the App must be brought within one (1) year after the event giving rise to it. This does not apply where local law provides a longer period that cannot be shortened by agreement.

(e) What is not limited. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, for gross negligence or wilful misconduct, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. If any part of this Section is held unenforceable where you live, it applies to the maximum extent permitted there and the rest of it stays in force.

11. Export control and sanctions

The App contains encryption and is subject to the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (it is self-classified under ECCN 5D992.c) and to U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). You may not download, use, export, or re-export the App:

The current list is maintained in the project’s export-compliance record (EXPORT_COMPLIANCE.md), which governs if it and this page differ.

12. Changes to these Terms

Each version of the App carries the Terms that apply to it. If we make a material change, we will update the “Last updated” date above, and publish the change at neighborhoodsafe.org/terms.html. The Terms shipped inside the App under Settings → Terms of Use are the ones that applied when that version was released. Changes apply to versions of the App released after the change and are not retroactive.

13. Ending

You may stop using the App at any time by uninstalling it. We may stop distributing, supporting, or updating the App at any time. Sections 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15 and 16 survive the end of this agreement.

14. Assignment and successors

We may assign or transfer these Terms, and the App, to a business entity we control or to a successor publisher of the App. When that happens we will update Sections 1 and 17. You may not assign these Terms.

15. Governing law, disputes, and your consumer rights

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Arizona, United States of America, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute relating to the App will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Maricopa County, Arizona, and you consent to their jurisdiction.

If you live in a country whose law gives you mandatory consumer protections, or the right to bring proceedings in your local courts, nothing in this Section takes those away.

Before starting any legal claim, please email legal@neighborhoodsafe.org describing the problem. We will try to resolve it informally within 30 days.

16. General

These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and us about the App. If any provision is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our not enforcing a provision is not a waiver of it. Where these Terms are translated, the English version controls to the extent the law allows.

17. Contact