LEGAL

Privacy Policy

Effective date: June 18, 2026

SafeRoute Africa ("we," "our," or "us") operates a community safety platform consisting of a mobile application and this website (collectively, the "Service"). We are committed to protecting the privacy of every person who uses SafeRoute Africa. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, when we share it, and the choices you have regarding your information.

By using SafeRoute Africa, you agree to the practices described in this Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Service.

1. Introduction

SafeRoute Africa is a free, community-powered safety platform designed for users across Africa. It allows community members to report safety incidents, receive real-time safety alerts, search for missing persons, and activate emergency assistance features.

Because our Service involves location data, emergency contact information, and sensitive safety reports, we hold privacy to the highest standard. Our platform is built on the principle of privacy by design — we collect only what is necessary, store it securely, and never sell it.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in the categories described below. All collection is limited to what is necessary to provide and improve the Service.

a) Account Information

  • ●Full name
  • ●Email address
  • ●Phone number (optional, used for account recovery and emergency features)
  • ●Password (stored as a one-way cryptographic hash — never readable)

b) Profile Information

  • ●Profile photo (optional)
  • ●City and country of residence
  • ●Language and notification preferences
  • ●Emergency contact names and phone numbers (stored locally and optionally synced)

c) Location Information

  • ●Approximate GPS location (rounded before storage to protect your identity)
  • ●City, state/region, and country
  • ●Location used to determine which safety alerts are relevant to you
We never store your exact GPS coordinates. All location data is approximated before it leaves your device.

d) Device Information

  • ●Device type and model
  • ●Operating system name and version
  • ●SafeRoute Africa app version
  • ●Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token for push notifications
  • ●Push notification preferences

e) User-Generated Content

  • ●Incident reports: type, description, approximate location, optional photos
  • ●Missing person reports: name, physical description, last known location, contact details, photos
  • ●Community validations, confirmations, and interactions with reports

f) Usage and Analytics Data

  • ●App features accessed and frequency of use
  • ●Time spent in the application
  • ●Crash reports and performance diagnostics
  • ●Error logs (no personal identifiers in log data)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • ●Provide, operate, and maintain the SafeRoute Africa community safety platform
  • ●Deliver real-time safety alerts and incident notifications relevant to your location
  • ●Enable incident reporting, community validation, and trust scoring
  • ●Power missing persons search and community sighting confirmations
  • ●Activate emergency SOS features and notify your emergency contacts
  • ●Process account creation, authentication, and deletion requests
  • ●Send service-related notifications (safety alerts, account updates, security notices)
  • ●Improve platform performance, fix bugs, and develop new features
  • ●Detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity
  • ●Comply with applicable laws and legal obligations
  • ●Respond to user support requests

We do not use your personal information for advertising, profiling, or sale to third parties.

4. Location Data Usage

Location data is a core component of SafeRoute Africa's safety features. Here is exactly how we use it:

  • ●Show you safety alerts and active incidents within your area
  • ●Display the interactive community safety map
  • ●Route your incident reports to relevant community members and responders
  • ●Determine which country and community you belong to for alert relevance
  • ●Support emergency assistance coordination when you activate SOS

Your Location Controls

You control location permissions through your device's operating system settings. You may grant precise location, approximate location, or deny location access entirely.

  • ●Precise location: used only in-app and never transmitted exactly — approximated before storage
  • ●Approximate location: sufficient for most alert and mapping features
  • ●Location denied: you may still use the platform by manually selecting your city or region
Disabling location access reduces the accuracy of safety alerts but does not prevent you from using the platform.

5. Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share information only in the following limited circumstances:

a) Public Community Reports

Incident and missing person reports may be visible to other SafeRoute Africa users. When you choose anonymous reporting, your identity is not attached to the report. When you post non-anonymously, your display name is visible to other users in your area.

b) Emergency Situations

In cases involving an immediate, credible threat to life or safety, we may share relevant information with emergency responders, law enforcement authorities, or other parties as necessary to address the emergency.

c) Legal Requirements

We may disclose personal information when required to do so by applicable law, regulation, court order, subpoena, or other legal process. We will attempt to notify you of such disclosures where legally permitted.

d) Service Providers

  • ●Firebase (Google LLC): backend infrastructure, database, authentication, cloud storage, and push notifications — processed under Google's data processing agreements
  • ●Brevo (Sendinblue): transactional email delivery for account notifications and deletion confirmations

These providers process data on our behalf and are contractually bound to protect your information.

e) Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user data may be transferred to the successor entity. We will provide notice before your data is subject to a different privacy policy.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Specifically:

  • ●Account information: retained while your account is active; deleted within 30 days of account deletion
  • ●Incident reports: retained in anonymised form to maintain community safety records after account deletion
  • ●Missing person reports: retained until resolved or closed, then anonymised
  • ●Device tokens (FCM): deleted when your account is deleted or when your device stops using the app
  • ●Legally required records: retained for the period required by applicable law, even after account deletion

You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 7).

7. Account Deletion

You have the right to delete your SafeRoute Africa account and associated personal data at any time. Deletion is available through two methods:

Self-Service (Recommended)

Open the SafeRoute Africa app:

  • ●Go to Profile
  • ●Select Settings
  • ●Tap Delete Account
  • ●Confirm deletion

Account deletion via the app is immediate.

Manual Request

If you cannot access your account, submit a deletion request at saferouteafrica.com/delete-account. Our team will process your request and confirm via email.

Account deletion is permanent and cannot be reversed. See Section 6 for details on what data is deleted versus retained for legal compliance purposes.

8. Security Measures

We take the security of your information seriously and implement multiple layers of protection:

  • ●Firebase Authentication: industry-standard secure account management with OTP email verification
  • ●Encryption in transit: all data transmitted between the app, website, and our servers uses TLS/HTTPS
  • ●Encryption at rest: data stored in Firebase is encrypted at the storage layer by Google
  • ●Approximate location storage: GPS coordinates are rounded before storage to protect your physical location
  • ●Anonymous reporting: all incident reports can be submitted without attaching your identity
  • ●Role-based access controls: administrative access to user data is strictly limited and logged
  • ●Regular security reviews: our infrastructure and code undergo periodic security assessments

No system is completely secure. We encourage you to use a strong, unique password and enable screen lock on your device. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at support@saferouteafrica.com.

9. Children's Privacy

SafeRoute Africa is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect, use, or disclose personal information from children under 13.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@saferouteafrica.com and we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

Users between the ages of 13 and 17 should use SafeRoute Africa only with the knowledge and consent of a parent or guardian.

10. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

  • ●Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
  • ●Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data
  • ●Deletion: Delete your account and associated personal data (see Section 7)
  • ●Data portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • ●Withdrawal of consent: Withdraw consent for location access or push notifications at any time via your device settings
  • ●Restriction: Request that we limit how we process your data in certain circumstances
  • ●Objection: Object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@saferouteafrica.com or use the in-app account management features. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable law.

11. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

SafeRoute Africa

Email: support@saferouteafrica.com

Website: www.saferouteafrica.com

12. Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

When we make material changes, we will:

  • ●Update the effective date at the top of this policy
  • ●Send an in-app notification or email to registered users
  • ●Post the updated policy at saferouteafrica.com/privacy

Your continued use of SafeRoute Africa after the revised effective date constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Effective Date

This Privacy Policy is effective as of June 18, 2026.

It applies to the SafeRoute Africa mobile application and website at saferouteafrica.com.