SentinelPrivacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2026

1. Introduction

Sentinel Blackbox ("we", "us", "our") is a personal security application designed to help you document incidents, share your location with trusted contacts, and stay aware of your surroundings. We take your privacy seriously — this policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and the rights you have over it.

This policy applies to the Sentinel Blackbox mobile and web application, accessible at sentinel-blackbox.base44.app and any connected custom domains.

2. Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal data under the GDPR is:

Sentinel Blackbox GmbH
Modelstreet 42
10115 Berlin
Germany
Email: privacy@sentinel-blackbox.example

3. Data We Collect

Sentinel Blackbox is designed to collect data primarily when you actively use a safety mode. The types of data we process include:

Account data: your email address, display name, and mobile phone number when you register.

Location data: your GPS coordinates (latitude, longitude, accuracy) when a safety mode is active or when you use the Trace-Map feature. Location is collected in real time while a mode is running and stops when you end the mode.

Evidence data: photos, video clips, and audio recordings captured through the app during an active mode. These are stored privately and only accessible to you and, if you choose to share, the recipients you select.

Contact data: the names, phone numbers, and email addresses of emergency contacts you add manually. We do not import your phone's address book.

Connection data: the Sentinel IDs and connection links you create to link with family members or friends.

Settings and preferences: your configured emergency number, alert messages, route waypoints, PIN (stored as a salted hash, never in plaintext), language, and theme.

Usage data: incident records, test drill logs, and notification logs created when you use the app's features.

4. How We Use Your Data

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

  • To provide the core safety features: incident documentation, location sharing, evidence capture, and contact notification.
  • To send emergency alerts to your designated contacts when you activate a safety mode.
  • To generate incident reports (including PDF summaries) that you can export or share.
  • To maintain your PIN lock and authenticate you when you unlock the app.
  • To process payments for subscriptions or store purchases via our payment provider (Stripe).
  • To send you service-related emails (e.g., temporary PIN reset, test drill confirmations).
  • To improve the app's reliability and user experience through aggregated, anonymized analytics.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the GDPR, we process your data based on:

  • Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — when you grant camera, microphone, and location permissions, and when you add contacts or activate a mode.
  • Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) — to provide the service you registered for, including incident storage and notification.
  • Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) — to secure the app (PIN verification, abuse prevention), maintain service reliability, and prevent misuse.
  • Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) — where we are required to retain certain records under applicable law.

6. Data Sharing and Recipients

Sentinel Blackbox is built on the principle that your data is yours. We do not sell your data. Your evidence (photos, video, audio, location) is stored privately and is only shared when you explicitly choose to:

  • Your emergency contacts — when you activate a mode and choose to notify them, they receive an alert with your location and a link to your incident report.
  • Your connected family/friends — when you use the Safeguard or Trace-Map features with linked connections.
  • The Sentinel team — if you configure a team email in your settings and choose to send a report to it.
  • Our payment provider (Stripe) — to process payments. Stripe processes your card data under its own PCI-DSS compliance; we do not store card numbers.
  • Our hosting and infrastructure providers — the Base44 platform that hosts the app and database, and the email delivery service that sends notifications on your behalf.

7. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. You can delete individual incidents, traces, contacts, or your entire account at any time from the app's Setup screen. When you delete data, it is removed from our database and cannot be recovered.

Trace-Map routes may be configured to auto-delete after a set number of hours. Incidents remain stored until you explicitly delete them, so you always have a record of what was captured.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data:

  • Your PIN is stored as a salted SHA-256 hash in an admin-only database table — it is never stored in plaintext and never sent to the client.
  • All evidence uploads (photos, video, audio) are stored in private storage with server-side signed URLs — no public access is possible without authentication.
  • Row-level security ensures each user can only access their own records.
  • Email-sending endpoints are rate-limited to prevent abuse.
  • Cryptographically secure random number generation is used for all security-critical IDs and codes.

9. Your Rights Under the GDPR

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access (Art. 15) — request a copy of your data.
  • Rectification (Art. 16) — correct inaccurate data.
  • Erasure (Art. 17) — request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten").
  • Restriction (Art. 18) — limit the processing of your data.
  • Data portability (Art. 20) — receive your data in a machine-readable format.
  • Objection (Art. 21) — object to processing based on legitimate interests.
  • Withdrawal of consent (Art. 7(3)) — withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@sentinel-blackbox.example. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

10. International Data Transfers

Your data is processed on the Base44 platform, which may use servers located outside the EU/EEA. Where this occurs, appropriate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) are in place to ensure a level of data protection equivalent to the GDPR.

11. Children and Minors

Sentinel Blackbox is not directed at children under 13. For users under 18, a parent or guardian can set up a family account and use the Safeguard feature to monitor the child's route home. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

12. Cookies and Tracking

The app does not use tracking cookies. We use local storage to remember your language preference, theme, and authentication state. Analytics data, where collected, is aggregated and anonymized.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes through the app or by email. The "last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.

14. Contact

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or your personal data, please contact us:

Sentinel Blackbox GmbH
Modelstreet 42
10115 Berlin
Germany
Email: privacy@sentinel-blackbox.example

Note

This privacy policy uses exemplar placeholder contact details. Replace with your real legal information and review with a qualified professional before going live.