Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026

1. Introduction

AeChai Inc ("AeChai", "we", "us", "our") operates the AeChai mobile application and the aechai.org website. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our air quality monitoring and emergency alert services.

By using AeChai, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.

2. Data We Collect

Information you provide:

  • Account information — full name, email address, password (hashed), profile photo
  • Guardian contacts — names and Ghana phone numbers of people you designate as emergency guardians
  • Guardian photos — optional photos you attach to guardian entries (from camera, gallery, or phone contacts)

Information collected automatically:

  • Location data — GPS coordinates when you grant location permission. Used to tag air quality readings and to share your position with guardians during SOS emergencies. Location is collected only while the app is in the foreground (or during an active SOS).
  • Air quality readings — PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter measurements received from your connected AeChai BLE device, saved every 30 seconds while connected
  • Device information — BLE device name and identifier for the paired air quality monitor
  • SOS alert data — location, timestamp, air quality reading at the time of an SOS trigger, and alert status (active/resolved)

3. How We Use Your Data

  • Emergency alerts — sending SMS notifications with your location to your designated guardians when you trigger an SOS
  • Live location sharing — streaming your GPS position to the guardian tracking page during an active SOS so guardians can find you
  • Air quality monitoring — displaying real-time PM2.5/PM10 readings on your dashboard and classifying air quality using WHO 2021 guidelines
  • Historical data — storing air quality readings over time for your personal monitoring history
  • Account management — authenticating you, managing your profile, and enabling features like password reset

4. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate AeChai:

  • Supabase — database hosting, authentication, and real-time data delivery (hosted in the cloud; subject to Supabase's Privacy Policy)
  • Arkesel — SMS delivery for SOS emergency alerts to guardians in Ghana
  • Google Maps — map display on the guardian tracking page (subject to Google's Privacy Policy)
  • Google Sign-In / Apple Sign-In — optional authentication providers

We do not sell your personal data to any third party.

5. Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored on Supabase-hosted PostgreSQL databases with row-level security (RLS) policies ensuring you can only access your own data. Authentication tokens are stored securely on your device using encrypted storage (expo-secure-store). All network communication between the app and our servers uses HTTPS encryption.

Avatar photos are stored in Supabase Storage with access policies scoped to your user ID — no other user can read, modify, or delete your photos.

6. Data Sharing

Your data is shared only in these specific situations:

  • SOS emergencies — your name, location, and a tracking link are sent via SMS to your designated guardians when you trigger an SOS. This is the core purpose of the app.
  • Guardian tracking page — during an active SOS, your live GPS position is streamed to a web page that your guardians can view. Streaming stops immediately when you mark yourself as "fine".

We do not share your data with advertisers, data brokers, or any party not listed in this policy.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access your data — your profile, guardians, and air quality history are all visible in the app
  • Correct your data — edit your name, guardians, and profile photo from the app
  • Delete your account and all associated data — available in the app under Profile → Delete Account. Deletion is immediate and permanent. See our Account Deletion page for details.
  • Revoke permissions — you can disable location access, Bluetooth, camera, or contacts access at any time in your device settings

8. Data Retention

Your data is retained for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, all data is permanently removed immediately — including your profile, guardians, device records, air quality readings, SOS alerts, push tokens, and avatar photos. This deletion cascades through all related database tables and storage buckets. We retain nothing.

9. Children's Privacy

AeChai is intended for users aged 13 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected data from a child under 13, we will delete that data promptly. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at aechai.inc@aechai.org.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of AeChai after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us: