What this site is, what it isn't, and how to use it responsibly.
DeviceGuardian is an independent research project. Everything on this site is published for educational and informational purposes only. It is not legal advice, professional advice, or a substitute for your own judgement.
If you are making a decision that matters — about your child's safety, your business compliance, or your legal rights — talk to a qualified professional. We provide the starting point, not the final word.
We document contradictions between what companies claim and what has been documented by regulators, courts, journalists, and researchers. Every finding is backed by at least one verifiable source — an FTC filing, a court document, a news report, an academic paper, or a CVE record. We link to these sources so you can check them yourself.
Our grades and ratings are the result of a documented methodology applied consistently across 684 products. They represent our assessment of the evidence, not a definitive or absolute judgement. Reasonable people can interpret the same evidence differently.
Companies update their privacy policies, settle lawsuits, patch vulnerabilities, and change their practices. Our findings reflect what was documented at the time of research. A product graded "F" today may have improved since our last review. A product graded "B+" may have deteriorated.
We do not guarantee that any finding is current. Source URLs may break over time. If you find a finding that is outdated or inaccurate, please report it.
This project uses AI-assisted research with human review. We use Claude (by Anthropic) to help research products, identify contradictions, and draft findings. Every finding is reviewed and edited by a human researcher before publication. Our methodology page explains the process in detail.
AI can make mistakes. If you spot an error, tell us. We will correct it and credit you.
The For Parents page provides recommendations based on documented findings about specific products. These recommendations — including suggestions to remove, configure, or monitor specific apps — are based on published evidence, not an individual assessment of your child or your family's situation.
Every child is different. Every family has different values and risk tolerances. Use our findings as one input alongside your own judgement, your child's maturity, and conversations with other parents and professionals.
DeviceGuardian has no commercial relationship with any product, company, or organisation reviewed on this site. We do not accept payment, sponsorship, or incentives from any company we review. We do not run advertising. Product names, logos, and trademarks belong to their respective owners.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, DeviceGuardian and its contributors are not liable for any loss, damage, or consequence arising from the use of information on this site. This includes but is not limited to decisions about which products to use, remove, or configure based on our findings.
This site is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied.
We built this site because we believe people deserve to know what their devices and apps actually do with their data. We cite our sources. We explain our methodology. We make it easy to verify what we say.
But we are human, and the tools we use are imperfect. Check the sources. Read the policies. Make up your own mind.