AidNow Privacy Policy
1. Who we are
AidNow is a free emergency-services directory for Negros Island, Philippines. It helps you find emergency contacts quickly, view a live map, read emergency guides, and share your location via SMS in a crisis.
We built this app to help communities. We do not sell ads. We do not sell your data.
2. What data we collect and why
Location (GPS/network)
What: Your device's precise or approximate latitude and longitude.
Why and how we use it:
- To center the map on your position and show the nearest emergency services. This happens on your device, and your coordinates are not sent to our servers for this purpose.
- To fetch local weather and hazard alerts. Your coordinates are sent to our backend server so we can retrieve relevant weather and hazard information for your area.
How this works: When you view weather, your coordinates are sent to our backend, which forwards them to Open-Meteo (a third-party weather service) to retrieve the forecast for your area. Your coordinates are not stored on our servers; they are used only to answer that one request and then discarded. Hazard alerts do not use your coordinates at all.
We use location only while you are actively using the app (foreground use). We do not track your location in the background.
Emergency SOS (SMS)
When you tap the Emergency SOS button, the app sends a text message containing your location to phone numbers you choose. This message goes through your phone's own SMS app. AidNow does not receive or store your location from this action. This is always user-initiated.
Analytics events
We collect usage events (such as which buttons you tap, which contacts you view, and how you interact with features) and send them to our backend for analytics. These events help us understand how the app is used so we can improve it.
We do not link analytics events to your name or email address, and we do not attach any device identifier, advertising identifier, or installation ID to them. In the current public version (no login), analytics events carry no personal identifier at all.
User submissions (optional)
If you use the "Suggest a correction or new contact" form, you may voluntarily provide:
- Your name (optional)
- Your contact detail, e.g., email or phone (optional)
- The contact information or correction you are suggesting
We use this only to review and act on your submission. We will not use it to contact you for any other purpose without your permission.
Crash reports
The app includes the Sentry crash-reporting library, but it is currently inactive: no reporting key (DSN) is configured, so no crash data is collected or sent in the released app. If we enable crash reporting in a future version, diagnostic information (device type, OS version, app version, and a stack trace) would be sent to Sentry, and we will update this policy first.
What we do NOT collect
- We do not require an account or login in the current public version of the app.
- We do not collect your name, email, or any identifier unless you voluntarily provide it in a submission form.
- We do not serve ads or use ad networks.
- We do not sell or rent any data to third parties.
3. Permissions we request
| Permission | Why we need it |
|---|---|
| Location (foreground) | To center the map and fetch local weather/hazard alerts for your area |
| Phone / Dialer | To let you call an emergency contact directly from the app. The call goes through your phone's dialer, and we do not log your calls |
| SMS | To send your location via SMS through your phone's SMS app when you use the Emergency SOS feature |
4. How the contacts list works
The directory of emergency contacts is downloaded from our server and cached on your device. This lets the directory work even when you have limited or no internet access. The cached data is a list of public emergency-service contacts; it does not contain your personal information.
5. Third-party services
AidNow uses the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy.
| Service | What it does | Privacy policy |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps SDK | Displays the map inside the app | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Sentry | Crash/error reporting: currently inactive (see Section 2) | sentry.io/privacy |
| Open-Meteo | Weather forecasts; receives your coordinates to return local weather | open-meteo.com/en/terms |
| GDACS | Global hazard alerts; does not receive your coordinates | gdacs.org |
| AidNow backend | Hosts contact data, receives weather/hazard requests, receives analytics events | Operated by Zackery Robinson |
6. Data sharing
We do not share your personal information with third parties except in these cases:
- Service providers: Our backend hosting provider processes data on our behalf under a data processing agreement.
- Weather provider: Your coordinates are forwarded to Open-Meteo to retrieve local weather. They are not stored by us. (GDACS hazard data does not involve your coordinates.)
- Emergency SOS SMS: When you tap Emergency SOS, your phone sends a text message to numbers you choose, through your phone carrier. AidNow does not receive or store that message. This is not sharing by AidNow; it is an action you take directly.
- Legal requirement: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the safety of users or the public.
7. Data retention
- Location coordinates sent for weather requests: not stored. Used for the single request and then discarded.
- Analytics events: retained for up to 12 months, then deleted or anonymized.
- User submissions: retained for up to 12 months after review, or until you request deletion.
- Crash reports: none collected (crash reporting is inactive).
8. Security
All data sent between the app and our servers is encrypted in transit using HTTPS. We use standard security practices to protect data on our servers. No system is 100% secure; if you believe there is a security issue, please contact us at zack.w.robinson@gmail.com.
9. Your rights and data deletion
You can request that we delete any personal data we hold about you, including any submission you made through the suggestion form. To make a request, email us at zack.w.robinson@gmail.com with the subject line "Data deletion request."
We will respond within 30 days. The app also supports full account and data deletion (for any future version that includes account features).
10. Children's privacy
AidNow is a general-audience app suitable for all ages. It is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
11. Changes to this policy
If we make significant changes to this privacy policy, we will update the "Effective date" at the top of this page and, where possible, notify users through an in-app notice. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
12. Contact us
If you have questions about this privacy policy or how your data is handled, contact us at:
Email: zack.w.robinson@gmail.com
Developer: Zackery Robinson