Privacy & Legal
What ZeroTrace AirLeak does and does not capture, and how to use it responsibly.
AirLeak is a passive Bluetooth-LE listener. Everything it reads is information that Bluetooth devices broadcast openly, to anyone in range, as part of how Bluetooth works. That it is public does not make every use of it appropriate, so this page is clear about both what AirLeak does and how to use it well.
What AirLeak does not do
- It does not connect. AirLeak never pairs with, connects to, or joins any device. It only listens to broadcasts.
- It does not transmit attacks. No jamming, no spoofing, no interference, it is a receiver, not a transmitter of attacks.
- It does not decrypt. AirLeak reads what devices announce in the open. It does not break encryption or reveal the private contents of a connection.
- It does not unmask protected trackers. Trackers that rotate their identity for privacy (Apple Find My, Google FMDN) stay anonymous, AirLeak names the type, not the owner. See Tracker detection.
- It does not capture Wi-Fi. AirLeak is Bluetooth-LE only. It does not scan Wi-Fi networks or read Wi-Fi traffic. (That is AirLeak Pro.)
- It does not send your data anywhere on its own. What AirLeak hears goes to your phone over Bluetooth. There is no cloud upload from the device.
Using it responsibly
AirLeak's purpose is personal privacy and awareness, knowing what is around you, and being warned if something appears to be following you. Used that way, it is a defensive tool.
A note on false alarms
AirLeak errs toward telling you when something might be following you. In normal life that produces occasional false alarms, your own devices, a companion's tracker, a stranger on the same train. An alert is a prompt to look, not a conclusion. See Follow-me alerts.