Legal
Privacy Policy
The short version: your camera video is analysed on your phone and thrown away. It is never uploaded. The only things that can leave your device are a detection label, a confidence number and your coordinates, and only if you have turned on alerts and signed in.
What this app stores
| Data | Where it goes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Camera frames | Nowhere. Held in memory, discarded after each check. | Detection runs entirely on the handset. |
| Alert records | Your own Firebase account, only if signed in. | So your history follows you to a new phone. |
| Your email | Google sign-in and Firebase Authentication. | Used to keep your alert history separate from other users. |
| Account profile (display name, profile photo link, internal user ID) | Your own Firebase account, only if signed in. | So the app can show who is signed in and keep your alert history attached to your account. |
| Your coordinates | Outbound SMS to the contact you saved. Never stored on our servers. | So whoever you alert knows where the fire is. |
| Emergency number, API key | This device only, in app storage. | Needed to send your alert. Never uploaded to us. |
| Theme, threshold, toggles | This device only. | Remembering your preferences. |
What we do not do
- We do not record or store video.
- We do not sell, rent or share your data. There is no advertising SDK in this app.
- We do not collect your contacts, your photos gallery or your microphone.
- We do not track you across other apps or websites.
Why the app asks for permissions
Each permission is used for one thing and nothing else. Android requires us to explain this, and we would rather over-explain than leave you guessing.
- Camera — to look for fire and smoke. Without it there is nothing to detect.
- Location — to attach your coordinates to the alert SMS. Optional; alerts still send without it.
- Notifications — to tell you a fire was found. Optional.
- Bluetooth — to control the optional rover. The app works fully with no rover.
- Internet — only for Google sign-in and syncing your alert history. Detection itself needs no network.
Third parties
Two, and both are optional:
- Google Firebase — sign-in and alert history, if you use it.
- Semaphore — SMS delivery, if you enter an API key. Your key goes from your phone to Semaphore and back. It is not sent to us.
SMS alerts
When an alert fires the app sends one text message to the emergency contact you saved. The message contains what was detected, a confidence score and your coordinates. A 30-second cooldown stops it sending repeatedly. Standard carrier rates may apply to the message you receive.
Deleting your data
Alert records stored in your Firebase account can be deleted one at a time,
or all at once, from the Alerts screen inside the app. To delete the account
itself, including the email and profile we hold for it, sign out and email us
at zhameersheraztampugao@gmail.com and we will remove it.
Everything held on the device disappears when you uninstall the app or clear
its storage.
Children
AQUASCOUT is not directed at children under 13 and collects no information about them.
Changes
If this policy changes we will update the date at the top and ship the new version with the change.
Contact
Questions go to the project team. Reach us at zhameersheraztampugao@gmail.com.