Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 6, 2026

SafeWalk takes your privacy seriously — especially given the sensitive nature of location and safety data. This policy explains exactly what we collect, why, and how we handle it.

1. Data We Collect

Data	When	Why
GPS Location	Only during active walks	Route monitoring, anomaly detection, sharing with emergency contacts during alerts
Emergency Contacts	When you add them	Names and phone numbers for SMS/voice alerts during emergencies
Walk Data	During active walks	Route path, speed, stops, route deviations — analyzed for anomalies and displayed on your dashboard
Device Token	On push notification opt-in	Firebase Cloud Messaging token for sending push notifications
Audio Recordings	Only if you enable	Optional emergency recording feature; stored encrypted on your device, uploaded only when activated
Account Info	On sign-up	Email or phone for account identification and service communications

1.1 What We DON'T Collect

Contacts from your address book (you manually enter emergency contacts)
Background location when not on a walk
Photos, videos, or media from your device
Browsing history or other app usage data
Biometric data

2. How We Use Your Data

Your data is used exclusively to provide the SafeWalk service:

GPS data → Real-time anomaly detection via AI, route display, alert location sharing
Emergency contacts → SMS and voice call alerts when a safety event is triggered
Walk data → Your personal dashboard showing walk history and safety metrics
Device token → Push notifications for alerts and walk status updates

We do NOT use your data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose beyond delivering the safety features of the Service.

3. Data Sharing

3.1 Emergency Contacts

During an active alert, your real-time location and a safety alert message are shared with your designated emergency contacts via SMS and/or voice call. This is the core function of SafeWalk and is triggered by you (manually or automatically based on anomaly detection).

3.2 Third-Party Service Providers

Data is transmitted to the following services as necessary to operate SafeWalk:

Provider	Data Shared	Purpose
Twilio	Phone numbers, alert message content, location	SMS and voice call delivery to emergency contacts
Mapbox	GPS coordinates, route data	Map display and SafeRoute calculation
OpenAI	Anonymized movement data points	AI anomaly detection and threat analysis
Firebase (Google)	Device push token	Push notification delivery
DigitalOcean	All service data (hosted)	Server infrastructure

Each provider has its own privacy policy and data handling practices. We select providers committed to data security.

3.3 Legal Disclosures

We may disclose data if required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

4. Data Retention

Active walk data: Retained for 30 days after walk completion, then automatically deleted
Emergency contact information: Retained until you remove it or delete your account
Account data: Retained until account deletion
Audio recordings: Deleted immediately after the emergency event concludes (unless you save them)

You may request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including:

Encryption in transit (TLS/HTTPS) for all data transmission
Server-side encryption at rest on DigitalOcean block storage
SSH key-based access with no password authentication
Regular security updates and firewall hardening
Minimal data collection — we only collect what's necessary

6. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have rights including:

Accessing the personal data we hold about you
Requesting correction of inaccurate data
Requesting deletion of your data
Restricting or objecting to processing
Data portability

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@safewalk.io. We'll respond within 30 days.

6.1 California Residents (CCPA)

California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected, request deletion, and opt out of the sale of personal information. SafeWalk does not sell personal information. To exercise CCPA rights, email privacy@safewalk.io.

6.2 European Users (GDPR)

For users in the EEA/UK, we act as a data controller. Our legal basis for processing location and contact data is your explicit consent (granted when you start a walk and add emergency contacts). You may withdraw consent at any time. You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

7. Children's Privacy

SafeWalk is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, contact us for immediate deletion.

8. International Data Transfers

SafeWalk's servers are located in the United States (DigitalOcean SFO3, San Francisco). If you use the Service from outside the US, your data will be transferred to and processed in the US. By using the Service, you consent to this transfer.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via the Service or email. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent changes.

10. Contact

Questions, concerns, or data requests?

Email: privacy@safewalk.io
Website: safewalk.io