Privacy Policy

Effective: 9/20/25

CheckIn is built on a foundation of privacy protection while enabling effective crisis prevention. This policy explains exactly what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your information.

1. Information We DON'T Collect

CheckIn is designed to protect your identity. We do NOT collect:

Your real name
Email address (unless you contact support)
Your phone number
IP addresses or device fingerprinting
Location data or GPS coordinates
Browsing history or app usage outside CheckIn
Social media profiles or external account information

2. Information We DO Collect

Data Stored Locally on Your Device

The following data remains only on your device:

Journal entries and personal notes
Notification preferences and app settings

Data Linked to Your User Profile

To enable crisis detection and personalized safety features, we collect the following data connected to your anonymous user account:

Check-in responses: Daily mood, energy, sleep, anxiety, appetite, and interest levels (1-10 scale ratings)
Demographics: Age range, gender identity, service status (veteran/first responder), LGBTQ+ status, and similar demographic information
Baseline survey: Your initial mental health baseline measurements across all tracked categories
LifeSaver contacts: Names and phone numbers of your trusted contacts for crisis alerts
Risk indicators: Patterns and responses that may indicate crisis situations
Organization codes: If you're part of an organization using CheckIn
Temporal data: When check-ins occur to identify concerning patterns like missed check-ins

How this data is connected:

All linked to your anonymous user ID for crisis prevention functionality
Enables pattern detection and LifeSaver alerts
Allows historical tracking and Pro features
Transmitted using encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS)
Stored on secure servers with access controls
Cannot be connected to your real-world identity without access to your device
Used only for crisis prevention and research purposes

Important: We store your LifeSaver contact information to enable crisis alerts. This data is part of your connected user profile to ensure alerts function properly.

LifeSaver Alert Processing

When you enable LifeSaver notifications:

We store contact information as part of your user profile to send SMS alerts
Messages are sent through secure third-party services (Twilio)
SMS content is generic and does not include personal data
Contact information remains linked to your profile for ongoing crisis prevention

3. How We Use Your Information

Primary Purposes

Crisis prevention: Analyzing your check-in patterns and responses to detect potential risk situations
Safety alerts: Sending notifications to your trusted contacts when our system detects concerning patterns
Research: Contributing to suicide prevention and mental health research using anonymous, aggregated data
App improvement: Making our crisis detection algorithms more effective and accurate
Organization reporting: Providing anonymous, aggregated wellness trends to organizations (if you entered an org code)

What Your Data Helps Us Do

Identify patterns that may indicate someone is at risk
Improve our ability to detect crisis situations early
Understand which interventions are most effective
Develop better mental health tracking tools
Support research into suicide prevention methods

We Do NOT Use Your Data For

Marketing or advertising to you personally
Selling individual data to third parties
Creating detailed personal profiles for commercial purposes
Sharing identifiable information with insurance companies or employers
Any purpose unrelated to mental health and crisis prevention

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

Routine Sharing: None

We do not routinely share your personal information with anyone.

Limited Exceptions

We may disclose information only when:

Required by law: Court orders, subpoenas, or legal obligations
Preventing imminent harm: Credible threats of suicide or violence
Child protection: Suspected child abuse as required by law
With your consent: You explicitly authorize sharing

Third-Party Services

SMS delivery: Twilio processes LifeSaver alerts (they do not store your data)
Cloud infrastructure: User profile data stored on secure servers
No tracking: We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or similar tracking tools

5. Data Security and Retention

Security Measures

All data transmission is encrypted (TLS 1.3)
User profile data stored on SOC 2 compliant servers
No personal identifiers in our database systems
Regular security audits and updates

Data Retention

Device data: Journal entries and local settings stored until you delete the app
Server data: Connected user profile data including check-ins, demographics, baseline data, and LifeSaver contact information retained for:
- Crisis prevention and safety monitoring
- Sending emergency alerts to your trusted contacts
- Research and algorithm improvement
- Organization reporting (if applicable)
Data deletion: You can request deletion of your user profile data by contacting support with your anonymous ID

6. Your Privacy Rights

Universal Rights (All Users)

Access: Request information about data we have
Deletion: Delete local data by uninstalling the app; request server data deletion
Correction: Update information directly in the app
Portability: Export your data using in-app tools

Additional Rights (EU/California Residents)

Under GDPR and CCPA, you also have rights to:

Opt-out of analytics: Contact us to exclude your data from research
Data processing details: Detailed explanation of how we process information
Third-party sharing: List of any data processors we use
Automated decision-making: Information about crisis detection algorithms

7. International Data Transfers

User profile data may be processed in the United States
All data is protected by appropriate safeguards
EU users' rights are protected under standard contractual clauses

8. Children's Privacy (Under 13)

We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If we discover such collection:

The data will be deleted immediately
Parents will be notified if contact information is available
Account access will be terminated

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy to:

Reflect new features or legal requirements
Improve clarity or transparency
Address security enhancements

For material changes affecting data collection, we will:

Provide prominent in-app notification
Allow 30 days for review before implementation
Offer opt-out options where legally required

10. Data Breaches

In the unlikely event of a data breach:

We will notify affected users within 72 hours
Authorities will be notified as required by law
We will provide detailed information about what data was affected
Free credit monitoring will be offered if applicable

11. Contact Information and Complaints

General Privacy Questions
Email: privacy@usecheckin.app

Data Protection Officer (EU Inquiries)
Email: dpo@usecheckin.app

Regulatory Complaints

EU users: Contact your local Data Protection Authority
California users: Submit complaints to the California Attorney General
Other regions: Contact local privacy authorities

12. Crisis Support Resources

If you're in immediate danger, contact emergency services:

US Emergency Services: 911
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
International: Contact your local emergency services

Remember: This app is a tool to support your mental health, not replace professional care. Always consult qualified healthcare providers for serious mental health concerns.