Privacy Policy

Effective date: [TODO: set effective date before publishing]

SOS Connect exists to get help to people in crisis. Doing that means handling information that is personal and often sensitive — who needs help, where they are, and what they're facing. This policy explains what SOS Global Inc. ("we") collects, how it's used, who can see it, and the choices you have.

1. Information we collect

Account information — name and email when you sign in (handled by our authentication provider, Clerk).

Relief coordination records — when a request for help is logged (by you, or on your behalf by a coordinator or partner), we store the details needed to coordinate: names, phone numbers, locations, household information, and the circumstances described. When a helper or partner registers a resource — what they can provide and how to reach them — we store that as well. Reports from the ground and messages sent to our SMS number are stored the same way.

Technical data — basic usage analytics (page views, via Vercel Analytics) and the logs needed to run and debug the service.

Donations are processed by Givebutter; we don't receive or store your payment card details. [TODO: confirm what donation information (name/email/amount) flows back to us from Givebutter and whether it belongs in this list.]

2. How we use it

To coordinate relief: matching requests with resources, routing them to nearby partners and volunteers, tracking them to resolution, and verifying reports. To operate the service: authentication, security, debugging, and aggregate statistics. We do not sell personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.

3. Who can see it

Access is role-based and purpose-limited. Coordinators see the requests they coordinate; partner organizations see the requests routed to them; volunteers see what they need to act on a request they've taken. People's records are never public, and the operational map shows verification status — not names or message contents. Every user with access agrees (in the Terms of Service) to use it only for coordinating relief.

Service providers process data on our behalf: Clerk (authentication), Supabase (database hosting), Vercel (hosting and analytics), Resend (email), and our SMS provider. [TODO: confirm the final provider list and link their privacy policies.]

We disclose information if required by law, or when necessary to protect someone's life or safety — the reason the platform exists. [TODO: counsel review of this emergency-disclosure language.]

4. How we protect it

All person records live behind deny-by-default database access — nothing is readable from the public internet, and all access goes through the application server with role checks. Secrets and credentials are never stored in code. No system is perfectly secure, but minimizing who can see what is a design principle of the platform, not an afterthought.

5. How long we keep it

Coordination records are kept while they're operationally useful — an open case needs its history. [TODO: define an actual retention period / archival policy for resolved cases and closed disasters before publishing.]

6. Your choices and rights

You can ask us what we hold about you, ask for corrections, or ask for deletion by emailing team@sosconnect.org. Deletion requests may be limited where records must be retained for safety or legal reasons. [TODO: confirm the request-handling process and any jurisdiction-specific rights language (e.g. state privacy laws).]

7. Children

The Service is for users 18 and older. Records about minors may exist inside a household's request for help, entered by an adult; we don't knowingly create accounts for children. [TODO: counsel review — COPPA posture for household records.]

8. Changes to this policy

We'll post material changes on this page with a new effective date.

9. Contact

Privacy questions or requests: team@sosconnect.org · SOS Global Inc., 149 Weaver Blvd #127, Weaverville, NC 28787.