Chetana Terms of Service


**Effective Date:** 17 February 2026

**Last Updated:** 20 February 2026

**Governing Law:** Laws of India



1. Acceptance of Terms


By accessing or using Chetana (the "Service") — including the web interface, API, Telegram bot, WhatsApp bot, or any future client — you agree to these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.



2. Description of Service


Chetana is an **experimental** AI-assisted scam detection and digital safety tool. The Service analyzes user-submitted text messages, URLs, UPI IDs, and phone numbers to provide automated risk assessments. **This is a research experiment, not a production safety product.**


**Chetana is NOT:**

  • A government service, agency, or initiative
  • Affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to NIC, MeitY, TRAI, RBI, NPCI, or any government body
  • A substitute for law enforcement, financial advice, legal advice, or professional cybersecurity services
  • A guarantee of safety or fraud prevention
  • A production-grade security product — it is an experimental tool provided as-is

    • Chetana is an independent experimental project developed by Paul Desai.



    3. CRITICAL DISCLAIMERS AND LIABILITY LIMITATIONS


    **READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT LIMITS OUR LIABILITY.**


    3.1 No Accuracy Guarantee


    Chetana uses a combination of rule-based pattern matching and AI language models to generate risk assessments. These assessments are **probabilistic estimates, not factual determinations**.


  • **False negatives WILL occur:** Chetana may classify a real scam as "LOW RISK." This does NOT mean the message is safe.
  • **False positives WILL occur:** Chetana may classify a legitimate message, UPI ID, phone number, or URL as "HIGH RISK." This does NOT mean it is a scam.
  • Risk scores are generated by automated algorithms and may be incorrect, incomplete, or misleading.
  • AI-generated explanations may contain errors, inaccuracies, or hallucinations inherent to large language models.

    • 3.2 No Liability for Financial Loss


    **TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, INCLUDING THE INDIAN CONTRACT ACT 1872, CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT 2019, AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACT 2000:**


    KAVACH AND ITS DEVELOPER SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

  • Loss of money, funds, or financial assets
  • Loss of data or business opportunity
  • Emotional distress or reputational harm
  • Any damages arising from reliance on Chetana's risk assessments
  • Any damages arising from failure to detect a scam (false negative)
  • Any damages arising from incorrectly flagging a legitimate entity (false positive)

    • **THE TOTAL CUMULATIVE LIABILITY OF KAVACH SHALL NOT EXCEED ZERO RUPEES (Rs 0), AS THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE.**


    3.3 "As Is" and "As Available"


    The Service is provided strictly on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, completeness, reliability, or non-infringement.


    3.4 Automated Risk Assessments — Not Factual Determinations


    All outputs of Chetana — including risk scores, risk levels, signal lists, explanations, and recommendations — are **automated assessments generated by software algorithms**. They are not:

  • Factual statements about any person, entity, or transaction
  • Accusations of fraud, scam, or criminal activity
  • Legal findings or determinations
  • Editorial opinions or human judgments

    • No output of Chetana should be interpreted as an assertion of fact about any individual, business, UPI ID holder, phone number owner, or website operator.


    3.5 Independent Verification Required


    **You MUST independently verify all information before taking any action.** Chetana is a supplementary screening tool, not a decision-making authority. Before acting on any Chetana assessment:

  • Verify with the purported sender through official channels
  • Check official websites directly (not through links in messages)
  • Contact your bank or financial institution for transaction-related concerns
  • Report confirmed fraud to authorities (see Section 4)


    • 4. Reporting Confirmed Fraud


    If you are a victim of fraud or have confirmed a scam, contact:

  • **Cyber Crime Helpline:** 1930 (24x7)
  • **National Cyber Crime Portal:** https://cybercrime.gov.in
  • **Sanchar Saathi / Chakshu:** https://sancharsaathi.gov.in (telecom fraud)
  • **Your bank's fraud helpline** (within 24 hours for transaction reversal under RBI circular)
  • **Local police** (file FIR under IPC S.420, IT Act S.66C/66D)

    • Chetana is NOT a reporting mechanism and does NOT file complaints on your behalf.



    5. Community-Reported Data


    Chetana's verification system may include data submitted by other users (e.g., reported phone numbers, UPI IDs, URLs). This community data:

  • Is **not verified by Chetana** for accuracy
  • May contain false or malicious reports
  • Is subject to anti-poisoning safeguards (minimum report thresholds, source diversity checks)
  • Should be treated as one signal among many, not as proof of fraud

    • If your UPI ID, phone number, or URL has been incorrectly flagged, contact us for review and removal (see Section 12).



    6. AI-Specific Disclaimers


    Chetana uses local large language models (LLMs) for "Deep Scan" analysis. By using this feature, you acknowledge:

  • LLMs can generate plausible but incorrect explanations ("hallucinations")
  • AI analysis is supplementary to rule-based scoring, not a replacement
  • AI models have training data cutoff dates and may not recognize new scam patterns
  • AI-generated text does not represent human expert opinion
  • Chetana's developer does not manually review or endorse AI-generated outputs


    • 7. Government Scheme Whitelist


    Chetana maintains a database of known legitimate government schemes and domains. This database:

  • Is **not exhaustive** — legitimate schemes may be absent
  • Is maintained independently and is NOT an official government resource
  • May contain errors or outdated entries
  • Absence from the whitelist does NOT indicate a scam

    • Always verify government schemes through official .gov.in websites.



    8. User Responsibilities


    By using Chetana, you agree to:

  • Submit only content you have the right to share
  • Not use the Service for any unlawful purpose
  • Not submit false reports to the community verification system
  • Not attempt to reverse-engineer, attack, overload, or disrupt the Service
  • Not submit content designed to manipulate or poison the detection system
  • Not use Chetana outputs to defame, harass, or harm any person or entity
  • Not represent Chetana outputs as factual, legal, or authoritative determinations
  • Independently verify all risk assessments before acting on them
  • Not use Chetana outputs in legal proceedings as evidence of fraud or innocence


    • 9. No Financial or Legal Advice


    Nothing provided by Chetana constitutes financial, legal, investment, tax, or professional advice of any kind. The Service is for informational and educational purposes only. Consult qualified professionals for financial or legal matters.



    10. Data and Privacy


    Your use of the Service is governed by our [Privacy Policy](privacy_policy.md), which complies with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Key points:

  • Data is processed locally, not sent to external cloud services
  • You can export or delete your data at any time
  • We do not sell, share, or monetize your personal data
  • Scan content is used only for analysis, not stored beyond retention period (7 days)


    • 11. Service Availability


  • Chetana is provided **free of charge** with **no uptime guarantees**
  • We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service at any time without notice
  • We are not liable for any interruption, downtime, or unavailability
  • We reserve the right to rate-limit, block, or restrict access at our discretion


    • 12. Dispute Resolution for Flagged Entities


    If you are a business, individual, or entity whose UPI ID, phone number, or URL has been flagged by Chetana and you believe this is incorrect:

    1. Contact us at [email protected] with evidence of legitimacy

    2. We will review within 7 business days

    3. If the flag is determined to be incorrect, it will be removed

    4. We will notify you of the outcome


    This process does not constitute an admission of liability.



    13. Monetization


  • Chetana is **free for all end users** with no plans to charge for core safety features
  • No advertisements, no data sales, no premium gating
  • Future funding may come from government grants, CSR funding, or non-profit donations
  • Any monetization changes will be communicated 30 days in advance


    • 14. Indemnification


    You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Chetana, its developer, contributors, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with:

  • Your use or misuse of the Service
  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your reliance on any Chetana output
  • Any claim that your use of Chetana infringed the rights of a third party
  • Any false reports you submit to the community verification system


    • 15. Intellectual Property


    Chetana source code is available under its respective open-source license. The Chetana name, logo, and branding are the property of the developer. Use of the Chetana name or branding without permission is prohibited.



    16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction


    These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, including:

  • Information Technology Act, 2000 and IT Rules 2021
  • Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
  • Indian Contract Act, 1872
  • Consumer Protection Act, 2019

    • Any disputes shall be subject to the **exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India**. You waive any objection to this jurisdiction.



    17. Severability


    If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.



    18. Entire Agreement


    These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Chetana regarding the Service.



    19. Force Majeure


    Chetana shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance due to causes beyond reasonable control, including natural disasters, government actions, internet outages, power failures, third-party API failures, or cyberattacks.



    20. Changes to Terms


    We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated through the Service. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance. If you disagree with any changes, your sole remedy is to stop using the Service.



    21. Contact


    For questions about these Terms:

  • **Email:** [email protected]
  • **Grievance Officer:** Paul Desai ([email protected])


    • *By using Chetana, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms of Service. You understand that Chetana is an automated tool that may produce incorrect results, and you assume full responsibility for any actions taken based on its outputs.*



    ← Back to Chetana