Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Sanatani 🙏 ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application (the "App").

Sanatani is a community safety application designed to connect members of the Sanatani community, enable real-time location sharing, and provide emergency SOS alert functionality to ensure the safety and well-being of our users.

By using our App, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our App.

2. Information We Collect

We collect several types of information to provide and improve our services:

2.1 Personal Information

When you register for an account, we collect:

• Name: Your full name for identification within the community
• Email Address: For account verification and communication
• Phone Number: For account security and emergency contact purposes
• Password: Encrypted and stored securely for account access

2.2 Location Information

2.3 Device Information

We automatically collect certain information about your device:

• Device model and manufacturer
• Operating system version (Android)
• Unique device identifiers (Android ID)
• Mobile network information
• App version and build number
• Device language and regional settings

2.4 Push Notification Tokens

We collect and store Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) tokens to send you:

• Emergency SOS alerts from nearby users
• Community safety notifications
• Important app updates and announcements

2.5 Usage Data

We collect information about how you interact with the App:

• Features used and frequency of use
• SOS alerts created and responded to
• Time spent on different screens
• App crashes and error logs
• Login and logout times

2.6 SOS Alert Data

When you create or interact with SOS alerts, we collect:

• SOS alert location (latitude, longitude)
• Time and date of alert creation
• Custom message or description (if provided)
• Alert status (active, resolved, cancelled)
• List of users who viewed or responded to the alert

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

3.1 Core App Functionality

• User Authentication: Verify your identity and manage your account
• Location Services: Show your location on the map and find nearby community members
• Emergency Alerts: Send and receive SOS alerts to/from nearby users
• Distance Calculation: Calculate and display distances between users
• Map Display: Show user markers and SOS alert markers on Google Maps

3.2 Safety and Security

• Monitor and respond to emergency situations
• Detect and prevent fraudulent or unauthorized activity
• Protect users from harassment or harm
• Investigate and resolve disputes
• Comply with legal obligations

3.3 Communication

• Send critical SOS alert notifications
• Provide customer support
• Send important app updates and security notices
• Respond to your inquiries and requests

3.4 App Improvement

• Analyze usage patterns to improve features
• Debug and fix technical issues
• Develop new features based on user needs
• Optimize app performance and reliability

4. App Permissions Important

Our App requires the following permissions to function properly:

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

5.1 With Other Users

We share certain information with other users of the App:

• Your Name: Visible to nearby users and in SOS alerts
• Your Location: Visible to nearby users within a configured radius (default: 10 km)
• Distance: Calculated distance from other users
• SOS Alerts: Your SOS alerts are visible to all users within range

5.2 Service Providers

We share data with trusted third-party service providers:

• Google Maps Platform: For map display and location services
• Firebase (Google): For push notifications and app analytics
• Cloud Hosting Provider: For secure data storage and processing

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to:

• Valid legal process (court orders, subpoenas)
• Law enforcement requests
• Protection of our rights and safety
• Investigation of fraud or illegal activity
• Compliance with applicable laws and regulations

5.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you of any such change in ownership.

5.5 We DO NOT Sell Your Data

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

6.1 Technical Safeguards

• Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your device and our servers uses HTTPS/TLS encryption
• Encryption at Rest: Sensitive data (passwords, tokens) is encrypted in our database
• Secure Authentication: JWT tokens with expiration for secure API access
• Password Hashing: Passwords are hashed using bcrypt before storage

6.2 Access Controls

• Role-based access control for administrative functions
• Multi-factor authentication for admin accounts
• Regular security audits and penetration testing
• Automated monitoring for suspicious activity

6.3 Data Isolation

• User data is isolated and protected from unauthorized access
• Regular backups stored in secure, geographically distributed locations
• Disaster recovery procedures in place

7. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services:

7.1 Account Data

• Active Accounts: Retained while your account is active
• Deleted Accounts: Personal information deleted within 30 days of account deletion
• Backup Copies: May persist in backups for up to 90 days

7.2 Location Data

• Real-time Location: Retained for 30 days for nearby user calculations
• Historical Location: Aggregated and anonymized for app improvement
• SOS Alert Locations: Retained for 90 days for safety records

7.3 SOS Alert Data

• Active Alerts: Retained until cancelled or resolved
• Historical Alerts: Retained for 6 months for safety analysis
• Emergency Records: May be retained longer if required by law

7.4 Legal Obligations

We may retain certain information longer if required by law, for legal proceedings, or to enforce our terms and conditions.

8. Your Rights and Choices

8.1 Access and Portability

• Access Your Data: Request a copy of your personal information
• Data Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Account Information: View and update your profile information in the app

8.2 Correction and Deletion

• Update Information: Correct inaccurate personal information through the app
• Delete Account: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Delete SOS Alerts: Cancel and delete your active SOS alerts

8.3 Location Control

• Location Permissions: Revoke location access through device settings (note: this will disable core app features)
• Background Location: Disable background location tracking (will prevent SOS alerts from working properly)
• Logout: Stop location tracking by logging out of the app

8.4 Notification Control

• Push Notifications: Disable notifications in device settings (not recommended for safety)
• Notification Channels: Customize notification sounds and behavior

8.5 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:

• Email: privacy@sanatanihub.com
• Support: support@sanatanihub.com
• In-App Support: Settings → Help & Support

We will respond to your request within 30 days.

9. Children's Privacy

10. Third-Party Services

Our App integrates with the following third-party services:

10.1 Google Maps Platform

• Purpose: Map display and location services
• Data Shared: Location coordinates, device information
• Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

10.2 Firebase (Google)

• Purpose: Push notifications, analytics, crash reporting
• Data Shared: Device tokens, app usage data, crash logs
• Privacy Policy: https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy

10.3 Third-Party Links

Our App may contain links to external websites or services (e.g., Google Maps navigation). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Notify you through in-app notifications
• Send an email to your registered email address (for major changes)
• Require your consent if required by law

Your continued use of the App after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: