Privacy Policy for The Guarder

Last Updated: December 18, 2025

1. Introduction and Data Controller

The Guarder ("we," "us," or "our") is a family safety platform. We recognize that geolocation data and private communications are highly sensitive. This policy outlines our rigorous standards for data protection under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP).

Data Controller: The Guarder AG, Landis + Gyr-Strasse 1, 6300 Zug, support@theguarder.com.

2. Detailed Data Collection and Technical Necessity

To provide real-time safety services, we collect data based on the permissions you grant within the App:

  • Precise Geolocation Data: We collect latitude, longitude, speed, and heading. This is required for "Continuous Family Safety Tracking."
  • Background Location: If "Always Allow" is granted, we collect location data even when the app is closed or not in use to trigger "Safe Zone" alerts (Geofencing).
  • Motion & Fitness Data: We process accelerometer and gyroscope data to distinguish between walking, running, cycling, or driving. This optimizes battery life by reducing GPS polling when you are stationary.
  • Geocoding & Routing Data: Coordinates are processed via Google Maps API to provide human-readable addresses (e.g., "Home" or "School") and to calculate travel routes.
  • Private Family Chat: We store text messages, timestamps, and read statuses. These are encrypted in transit and at rest.
  • Device Health Data: We monitor battery level and network status to alert family members if a device is about to power off.

3. Data Infrastructure and Residency

We utilize a decentralized, high-security infrastructure located in Frankfurt, Germany, to ensure data sovereignty within the EEA/Switzerland:

  • Processing (Fly.io): Real-time movement logic and geofencing triggers are processed on servers in Frankfurt.
  • Storage (Supabase/AWS): All persistent data (user profiles, encrypted chat history, and location logs) is stored on AWS infrastructure in Frankfurt.
  • Sub-processors: We use Google Maps for mapping features. Google may process technical identifiers, but we do not share your name or private chat content with Google.

4. Protection of Minors (Children's Privacy)

As an app designed for families, we implement "Privacy by Design" for children:

  • Verifiable Parental Consent: Accounts for children under the age of 16 (or the local age of digital consent) must be managed by a parent or legal guardian.
  • Data Minimization: We do not collect more data from children than is strictly necessary for safety tracking.
  • No Commercialization: Children's data is never sold, shared with third-party advertisers, or used for behavioral profiling.
  • Visibility: Children can see exactly when their location is being shared through persistent system notifications (standard on iOS and Android).

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your data under the following legal frameworks:

  • Contractual Necessity: To provide the tracking and chat services defined in the EULA.
  • Legitimate Interest: To protect the vital interests and safety of your family members.
  • Explicit Consent: Specifically for the processing of precise "Always-On" location and motion data.

6. Your Rights and Data Control

Under GDPR and nFADP, you have the following enforceable rights:

  • Right of Access: You can request a machine-readable export of your family's location history and chat logs.
  • Right to Rectification: Update your profile or family circle details at any time.
  • Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You may delete your account. Upon deletion, all data is purged from our production servers in Frankfurt within 72 hours.
  • Right to Restrict Processing: You can instantly stop sharing location by toggling permissions in the "Permissions" screen of the App.

7. Data Security Measures

  • Encryption: All data is encrypted using TLS 1.2+ during transit and AES-256 at rest within the Supabase/AWS environment.
  • Access Control: We use Row-Level Security (RLS) to ensure that only members of your specific "Family Circle" can view your location or chat data. Our staff cannot access your private chats.

8. Retention Policy

  • Location History: We only keep detailed logs of geolocation for 30 days, and we maintain all activity logs for up to 6 months for legal reasons.
  • Chat History: Retained until the user deletes the message, the family circle is disbanded, or the account is closed.

9. Data deletion and data controller

If you have questions about your data or wish to file a complaint, you can contact our data protection department with the assigned data controller, Maximilian Haage.

Email address for all data-related questions or complaints: support@theguarder.com

Data controller full name: Maximilian Haage

Legal Entity: The Guarder AG

Monitoring bodies: Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) or an EU Supervisory Authority (https://www.edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/about-edpb/members_en)