Privacy Policy, Data Safety & Account Deletion
Effective Date: May 14, 2026 | Last Updated: June 26, 2026
This single document covers our Privacy Policy, Google Play Data Safety disclosure, and Account Deletion instructions.
Important Notice Regarding Children Under 13
RescueAlert is designed to help users of all ages access emergency medical assistance. Because our service may be used by or on behalf of children under 13, we comply fully with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and applicable Indian laws. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. See Section 7.
1. Who We Are
RescueAlert ("we", "us", or "our") is a medical emergency response platform operated from RescueAlert, Ch.Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, India. Our mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service") enable users to request emergency medical assistance, track ambulances in real time, and connect with partner hospitals.
2. Information We Collect
We collect only the information necessary to provide emergency services:
| Category | Examples | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Name, age, emergency contact | Identify user in emergencies |
| Location | GPS coordinates (only during SOS) | Dispatch nearest responder |
| Health | Blood type, allergies, conditions (optional) | Inform medical responders |
| Device | Device ID, OS version | App functionality & crash reporting |
| Usage | App interactions, SOS history | Improve service reliability |
| Communications | Email address (if account created) | Account & notifications |
3. How We Use Your Information
- Dispatch emergency medical services and ambulances in response to SOS alerts
- Share location and health profile with responding medical personnel
- Notify designated emergency contacts
- Improve app reliability, performance, and safety features
- Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests
- Send service-related communications (not marketing, unless you opt in)
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
- Vital interests: Processing location and health data during an active emergency to protect life
- Consent: For optional health profile data and marketing communications
- Legitimate interests: App analytics and service improvement
- Legal obligation: Compliance with Indian IT Act, DPDP Act 2023, and COPPA
5. Data Sharing
We share your data only in the following circumstances:
- Emergency responders & hospitals: Location and health profile shared during active SOS
- Emergency contacts: Name and location shared when you trigger SOS
- Service providers: Cloud hosting, SMS/push notification providers under strict data processing agreements
- Law enforcement: Only when required by a valid court order or to prevent imminent harm
6. Data Retention
- Location data from SOS events: retained for 90 days, then anonymised
- Account data: retained while your account is active, deleted within 30 days of account deletion request
- Health profile: deleted immediately upon your request
- Anonymised analytics: retained indefinitely for service improvement
7. Children Under 13 — Special Protections (COPPA)
RescueAlert recognises that emergencies can involve children. We take the following measures to protect minors:
a) No Direct Account Creation for Children
Children under 13 may not create their own RescueAlert account. A parent or legal guardian must create and manage the account on their behalf.
b) Verifiable Parental Consent
Before we collect any personal information from or about a child under 13, we require verifiable parental consent. This includes consent to collect location data during an SOS event. Consent may be provided via a signed consent form submitted to [email protected].
d) Emergency Exception
In a life-threatening emergency, we may collect and share a child's location with emergency services without prior parental consent, solely to protect the child's life. We will notify the parent or guardian as soon as practicable after the emergency.
e) No Behavioural Advertising to Children
We do not display behavioural advertising to users we know to be under 13, and we do not share children's data with advertising networks.
f) Reporting Concerns
If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13 without parental consent, please contact us immediately at [email protected]. We will delete such information promptly.
c) Parental Rights
Parents and guardians may at any time:
- Review the personal information we have collected about their child
- Request correction or deletion of that information
- Withdraw consent and request we stop collecting further information
- Contact us at [email protected] to exercise these rights
8. Security
We implement industry-standard security measures including TLS encryption in transit, AES-256 encryption at rest, access controls, and regular security audits. No system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach affecting your rights, we will notify you and relevant authorities as required by law.
Encryption in transit
All data transmitted over TLS 1.3.
Encryption at rest
Medical profiles and sensitive data encrypted using AES-256.
Access controls
Role-based access. Only authorised personnel can access user data.
Secure authentication
Passwords hashed with bcrypt. Sessions use secure, httpOnly cookies.
9. Your Rights
Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 (India) and applicable law, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Request erasure of your data (subject to legal retention obligations)
- Withdraw consent at any time (without affecting prior lawful processing)
- Nominate a representative to exercise rights on your behalf
- Lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Board of India
To exercise any right, email us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.
11. Third-Party Links
Our Service may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., Google Play, App Store). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
12. Google Play Data Safety
This section provides the data safety disclosure required by Google Play Store, explaining exactly what data RescueAlert collects, why, how it is used, and your rights.
Data Collection Summary
| Data Type | Collected | Shared | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Emergency services only | Emergency response |
| Phone number | Yes | Emergency contacts only | Emergency alerts |
| Email address | Yes | No | Account management |
| Precise location (GPS) | Yes (during SOS only) | Emergency services & contacts | Dispatch & tracking |
| Medical profile | Optional | Emergency services only | Emergency response |
| Emergency contacts | Yes | No | Alert notifications |
| Device identifiers | Yes | No | Push notifications |
| App activity / crash logs | Yes | No | App improvement |
Data We Collect — Details
Personal Information
- Name & email: Required to create your account and identify you during emergencies.
- Phone number: Used to send SMS alerts to your emergency contacts when SOS is triggered.
- Profile photo: Optional. Helps emergency responders identify you.
Location Data
- Precise GPS location: Collected ONLY when you trigger an SOS alert. Used to dispatch the nearest ambulance and share your location with emergency contacts. Location sharing stops when the emergency is resolved.
- Background location: NOT collected. Location is only accessed in the foreground during an active SOS.
Medical Profile (Optional)
- Blood type, allergies, conditions: Entirely optional. Stored encrypted. Shared only with emergency responders during an active SOS to improve medical care.
- Emergency contacts: Names and phone numbers of people to notify during an emergency. Never shared with third parties.
Device & App Data
- Device token (FCM): Used to deliver push notifications for emergency alerts. Not linked to advertising.
- Crash reports & diagnostics: Collected anonymously to improve app stability. Does not include personal data.
- App usage analytics: Aggregated, anonymised data on feature usage. Used to improve the app experience.
Who We Share Data With
We do not sell your data. Data is shared only in these circumstances:
- Emergency services (ambulance, hospitals) — Only during an active SOS alert. Shared: Location, name, medical profile (if provided).
- Your emergency contacts — Only during an active SOS alert. Shared: Your location and SOS status.
- Partner hospitals (500+) — Only during an active SOS alert. Shared: Incoming patient alert and ETA.
- Firebase (Google) — Always. Shared: Push notification tokens only.
13. Account Deletion
You can request deletion of your RescueAlert account and all associated personal data at any time using either method below.
This action is permanent and cannot be undone.
Once deleted, you will lose access to all emergency contacts, medical profile, and alert history. You will need to create a new account to use RescueAlert again.
- 1Open the RescueAlert app
- 2Tap your profile icon (top-right)
- 3Go to Settings → Account
- 4Tap "Delete Account"
- 5Confirm with your password
Email [email protected] with subject "Delete My Account".
Include:
What Happens After Deletion
Data Deleted vs. Retained
Permanently Deleted
- ✓Name, email, phone number
- ✓Medical profile & health data
- ✓Emergency contacts list
- ✓Location history
- ✓SOS alert history
- ✓Profile photo
- ✓Device tokens (push notifications)
- ✓Account preferences & settings
Temporarily Retained
- !Anonymised crash logs (90 days)
- !Aggregated usage statistics (90 days)
- !Legal compliance records if required by law
Retained data is fully anonymised and cannot be linked back to you.
14. Accessibility Service Disclosure
Prominent Disclosure — Required by Google Play
RescueAlert requests access to Android's Accessibility Service solely to enable life-safety features described below. This service is never used to collect passwords, financial information, personal messages, or any data unrelated to emergency response.
In-App Disclosure Dialog
Before requesting Accessibility Service permission, RescueAlert displays the following dialog to the user. The user must tap I Understand to proceed — tapping Not Now cancels the request.
Data & Permissions Notice
RescueAlert uses the following device features to provide emergency response:
This service does not read, collect, or share any personal data, passwords, or on-screen content.
This data is stored only on your device and is never shared with third parties for advertising purposes.
You can manage these permissions at any time in System Settings.
What We Do NOT Collect via Accessibility Service
- ✕Passwords or login credentials
- ✕Banking, payment, or financial information
- ✕Personal messages, emails, or SMS content
- ✕Browsing history or content from other apps
- ✕Keystrokes or clipboard contents
- ✕Any data from apps other than RescueAlert
How Accessibility Data Is Used
Data accessed via the Accessibility Service is processed on-device only. It is:
- Used only to detect SOS button presses and trigger emergency alerts
- Stored only on your device — never transmitted to our servers
- Never shared with advertisers, analytics providers, or third parties
- Never used for profiling, targeting, or any non-emergency purpose
How to Disable the Accessibility Service
You can revoke this permission at any time without deleting your account. Disabling it will turn off background SOS detection, but all other app features will continue to work normally.
- Open your device Settings
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Installed apps or Downloaded apps
- Tap RescueAlert
- Toggle the service Off
15. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. For significant changes affecting children's data, we will seek fresh parental consent where required.
16. Contact Us
For any questions about this policy, data requests, or account deletion help, contact our Data Protection Officer:
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: RescueAlert, Ch.Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, India
- Response time: Within 30 days