NearAid ("we", "us", "our", or the "App") is a community safety application that
lets you send an emergency SOS to nearby users and your emergency contacts, and lets
you respond to others nearby who need help. Because the App is built around
emergencies, it necessarily handles sensitive information such as your location. This
Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why, how it is shared, and the choices you
have.
By creating an account and using NearAid, you agree to the practices described here.
1. Information We Collect
We only collect what the App needs to function as a safety service.
a. Information you provide
- Phone number — used as your identity and verified by SMS one-time password (OTP) when you sign in.
- Name — shown to people who respond to your SOS (and to victims you help) so you can be identified.
- Emergency contacts — the name, phone number, and relationship of the people you choose to add so they can be notified when you trigger an SOS.
b. Location information
- Precise (GPS) location — collected when you open the App and, critically, while an SOS is active. Location is the core of the service: it lets nearby users find and reach you, and lets you reach a victim you are helping.
- Approximate location / geohash — a coarse code derived from your location, used to efficiently find users who are near an emergency.
- Background location — when you trigger an SOS, the App continues to share your live location in the background (via a foreground service with an ongoing notification) so responders can keep tracking you even if your screen is locked or the App is not open. Background location sharing stops the moment you mark yourself "I'm safe" or the alert otherwise ends. We do not collect background location at any other time.
c. Information collected automatically
- Device push token — a Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token used to deliver emergency alerts to your device.
- Device and session information — a device/session identifier used to keep only one active session per account, and basic device data.
- Crash and diagnostic data — via Firebase Crashlytics, to detect and fix crashes and errors. This may include device model, OS version, and a stack trace at the time of a crash.
We do not collect your phone's contacts list, your photos, or your
messages. Emergency contacts are only those you enter manually.
2. How We Use Your Information
- Authenticate you and secure your account (phone OTP).
- Broadcast an SOS to nearby users and your emergency contacts, including your live location, when you trigger one.
- Show live locations on a map — your location to responders, and their location back to you, during an active alert.
- Notify your emergency contacts with a link to your location (opened in Google Maps) so they can reach you.
- Route responders to a victim using turn-by-turn directions.
- Deliver notifications about nearby emergencies you can help with.
- Maintain and improve reliability by diagnosing crashes and errors.
We do not use your information for advertising, and we do
not sell your personal information.
3. How Your Information Is Shared
NearAid is a community service, so some information is shared
with other users during an emergency. Specifically:
- When you trigger an SOS, your name and live location are shared with:
- Nearby NearAid users within a broadcast radius, so they can choose to help; and
- Your emergency contacts who use NearAid, via a push notification containing a Google Maps link to your location.
- When you respond to someone's SOS, your first name and live location are shared with that victim so they can see help arriving.
We also share information with service providers that operate parts of the App on our behalf:
- Google Firebase (Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Cloud Functions, Cloud Messaging, Crashlytics) — stores and processes your account data, alerts, and location, and delivers notifications.
- Google Maps Platform (Maps SDK and Directions API) — renders maps and computes routes; your location may be sent to Google to provide these features.
We may disclose information if required by law, to comply with legal
process, or to protect the safety, rights, or property of users or the public.
4. Location — Prominent Disclosure
NearAid collects precise location data, including
in the background, to enable emergency features:
- Foreground: to place you on the map, find nearby responders, and route helpers to a victim.
- Background: during an active SOS only, so responders can keep tracking your location to reach you.
Background location collection starts only when you trigger an SOS and
stops as soon as the alert ends (you mark "I'm safe", cancel, or it is
resolved). You can revoke location permission at any time in your device settings, though
doing so will prevent the App from sending or receiving emergency location.
5. Data Retention
- Account data (name, phone, emergency contacts, availability, device token) is retained while your account exists.
- Alert and location data (SOS records, location trails, responder positions) is retained to operate and audit the safety service, and may be deleted or de-identified after it is no longer needed for that purpose.
- Crash data is retained per Firebase Crashlytics' standard retention.
When you delete your account, we delete or de-identify your personal information as
described in Section 6, except where we must retain it to comply with legal obligations.
6. Your Rights and Choices
- Access and update your name and emergency contacts in the App at any time.
- Turn off responder availability so you stop receiving nearby alerts.
- Revoke permissions (location, notifications) in your device settings.
- Delete your account and data — contact us at
publicawarness27112019@gmail.com
to request deletion of your account and associated personal information. We will action verified requests within a reasonable period.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights (such as access,
correction, deletion, or portability) under applicable data-protection laws. To exercise
them, contact us at the email above.
7. Data Security
We use industry-standard measures provided by Google Firebase — including encryption
in transit and access-controlled databases with server-enforced security rules — to
protect your information. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work
to protect your data and limit access to it.
8. Children's Privacy
NearAid is not intended for children under the age of 16 (or the minimum age required
in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If
you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.
9. International Data Transfers
Your information is processed on Google Cloud / Firebase infrastructure and may be
stored and processed in data centers outside your country of residence. Where required, we
rely on appropriate safeguards for such transfers.
10. Third-Party Services
NearAid relies on Google services. Their handling of data is governed by Google's
Privacy Policy:
Notifications opened from NearAid may launch Google Maps, which is
subject to Google's own terms and privacy policy.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the
"Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you in the App. Continued use of
NearAid after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions or requests about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at: