1. Who we are
The Phantom Echo mobile app and the website at phantomechoinc.us (together, the "Service") are operated by Phantom Echo Inc. ("Phantom Echo", "we", "us"), a company registered in the United States. We decide how your personal information is processed. You can reach us at privacy@phantomechoinc.us.
2. Information we collect
| Category | What it includes | Why we need it |
|---|---|---|
| Account details | Phone number, name, password (stored hashed by our authentication provider), email if you sign in with Google, profile photo. | To create your account, verify you and show your profile to responders. |
| Identity verification | A live face check using your camera during sign-up. | To confirm a real person owns each account, so criminals can't pose as responders. The check runs on your device. We store the result (verified or not), not a face template. |
| Location | Precise location while you use the app. Approximate area for nearby-responder counts. Background location only if you enable features that need it, such as being available as a responder or high-risk zone alerts. | To send your SOS to people nearby, guide responders to you, show local risk information and warn you about high-risk zones. |
| Emergency media | Live audio, and live video on paid plans, during an SOS. Photos, voice notes and video you attach to Spotter reports. | To let responders hear and see what's happening and to document incidents. |
| Safety activity | SOS and Spotter alerts you send or answer, alert category, timestamps, responder status, votes on Spotter reports, chat messages linked to an alert. | To run the response network, calculate reputation and credibility, and prevent abuse. |
| Circles & contacts | Circles you create or join, and emergency contacts you add yourself. | To alert your trusted people first and send SMS fallback messages. |
| Device & usage | Device model, OS version, app version, push notification token, network status, battery level during an active alert, crash and diagnostic data. | To deliver alerts, keep the app reliable and choose the best responders. |
| Purchases & ads | Your subscription tier and status (payment itself is handled by Apple or Google). Advertising identifiers on free and Essential plans. | To unlock paid features and show ads that keep the free tier free. |
3. When we use your microphone and camera
We use the microphone only during an SOS or Spotter report that you start. We use the camera only for the sign-up face check, for photos or video you choose to capture, and for live video during an SOS on paid plans. We never listen or record in the background.
4. How we use information
- Deliver SOS and Spotter alerts to the right people nearby and to your circles.
- Verify identities and keep fake or abusive accounts off the network.
- Produce anonymised, aggregated safety insights such as risk heatmaps. These never identify you.
- Provide customer support and send service messages.
- Process subscriptions and show ads on eligible plans.
- Meet legal obligations and protect the safety of users and the public.
5. Who we share information with
- Responders on an active alert: your name, photo, live location, alert details and live media, until the alert ends. Ghost mode hides your profile from the network at all other times.
- Your circles: the information you've chosen to share with them.
- Authorities: when you or a responder escalates an alert, or when the law requires it, or when we believe in good faith it's needed to prevent serious harm.
- Service providers who process data on our behalf under contract: Google Cloud and Firebase (hosting, database, authentication, messaging, storage), Google Maps (maps and directions), 100ms (live audio and video), Google AdMob (ads), and Apple and Google (app distribution and payments).
We do not sell your personal information. Any anonymised safety data we share is aggregated so that no individual can be identified.
6. How long we keep information
We keep account information while your account is active. Live location is kept only as long as needed to run an alert. Alert records and attached media are kept as long as needed for safety, abuse prevention and any legal follow-up, then deleted or anonymised. When you delete your account, we delete or anonymise your personal information within 30 days, except where the law requires us to keep it. See Delete your account.
7. Your choices and rights
- Turn location, microphone, camera and notification permissions on or off in your device settings.
- Use Ghost mode to stay invisible to the network until you send an SOS.
- Access, correct, download or delete your information by contacting us or using the app.
- Opt out of personalised ads in your device's privacy settings.
Depending on where you live, including Nigeria (Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023), the EU and UK (GDPR) and California (CCPA/CPRA), you may have more rights, such as the right to object to processing or to complain to a data protection authority. Email privacy@phantomechoinc.us to make a request. We respond within 30 days.
8. Security
We use encryption in transit, access controls and server-side security rules to protect your information. No system is perfectly secure, so please keep your password and device secure.
9. International transfers
We are based in the United States and use cloud providers that may process data outside your country. Where the law requires it, we use appropriate safeguards for these transfers.
10. Children
The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their information. You must be at least 18 to act as a responder. If you think a child has given us information, contact us and we'll delete it.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. If we make significant changes, we'll tell you in the app or by email before they take effect. The date at the top of this page shows when it last changed.
12. Contact us
Phantom Echo Inc.
Privacy: privacy@phantomechoinc.us
Support: support@phantomechoinc.us