Privacy Policy

Effective Date: June 21, 2026  |  Last Updated: October 8, 2026

ShieldNav LLC, an Indiana limited liability company ("ShieldNav," "we," "our," or "us"), makes ShieldNav, a crime-aware navigation app for iPhone. We take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what choices you have. Please read it carefully. By using ShieldNav you agree to the practices described here.

If you have questions, contact us at any time:

ShieldNav Support Email: support@shieldnav.com

1. Scope and Who We Are

This Privacy Policy applies to the ShieldNav mobile application for iPhone (the "App"), available on the Apple App Store, and to our website at shieldnav.com and any related services that link to this policy (collectively, the "Services"). There is no Android version of the App.

ShieldNav LLC is the company responsible for your personal information (the "controller"). Our primary contact for privacy matters is support@shieldnav.com.

ShieldNav is currently offered exclusively to users located in the United States.

2. Age Requirement and Children's Privacy

Age Requirement: 18 and older only. ShieldNav is intended for adults and is not directed to anyone under 18.

You must be at least 18 years old to use the App, subscribe, or create an account. By using the App you confirm that you are 18 or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18.

If we learn that we have collected personal information from someone under 18, we will delete it and the account or guest session it belongs to. If you believe we have collected information from someone under 18, please contact us immediately at support@shieldnav.com.

This policy is consistent with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. § 6501 et seq.

3. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information:

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

3.3 Subscription and Purchase Information

3.4 Information from Third-Party Sign-In

If you sign in with Google or Apple, we receive a limited profile (name, email address, and a provider-specific unique identifier) from those services. We do not receive your passwords, payment details, or any other data held by those providers. See their respective privacy policies for more information.

3.5 Drive Logs (Local Only)

The App may create drive logs on your device for diagnostic and personal review purposes. These logs are stored locally on your device and are never uploaded to our servers. You can delete them at any time by uninstalling the App or clearing App data in your device settings.

4. Location Data — What We Collect and What We Don't

Plain-English Summary We use your location in real time to show where you are, find places near you, and navigate you around reported crime. We do not store your GPS history or movement data on our servers. Places you choose to save (like Home or Work), your recent destinations, and scheduled drives are stored in your account so they sync across your devices — you can delete them at any time.

4.1 What We Collect

The App uses your precise location only with your permission. It explains why it needs location, then shows Apple's location prompt, and it never reads your location if you decline. If you allow location access, the App reads your device's GPS coordinates while you are using it. This location data is used only in real time, for the following purposes:

4.2 What We Do NOT Store

Your real-time GPS coordinates are not stored persistently on our servers. They are used to answer each request and then discarded. We do not build a history of your movements or trips. The only location data stored in your account is the saved-place data described in Section 4.3, which you control.

When we send you a scheduled-drive reminder, we keep a short record that it was sent (which schedule, when, and whether it reached your device) for 30 days, so we never send a reminder twice and can look into a missed one. It does not include the destination or any location. It is deleted sooner if you delete the scheduled drive or your account.

4.3 Saved Places, Recent Destinations, and Scheduled Drives

Separately from real-time GPS data, we store certain destination data in your account (in Firebase Firestore) so it can sync across your devices:

You can edit or delete saved places, recent destinations, and scheduled drives at any time in the App. All of this data is deleted when you delete your account (see Section 13). We do not use it for advertising, and we do not sell it or share it with third parties except the service providers described in Section 6.

4.4 Data Sent to HERE Technologies

To calculate routes and provide mapping services, location data is transmitted to HERE Technologies' servers. HERE processes this data as a service provider on our behalf subject to HERE's Data Privacy Notice (available at here.com/privacy). HERE may retain anonymized, aggregated telemetry for product improvement purposes in accordance with their own policies.

4.5 Background Location

ShieldNav asks for location access only while you are using the App. During an active navigation session, if permitted, the App keeps updating your position while the screen is locked or you switch to another app, so that directions keep working. We do not access your location when the App is closed, and we never ask for "Always" location access.

4.6 Revoking Location Permission

You may revoke location permission at any time via your device's Settings. Note that revoking location access will disable navigation and crime-overlay features of the App.

5. How We Use Your Information

Purpose Information Used
Provide and operate the App (navigation, crime overlays, routing) Location data, account info, subscription status
Authenticate your identity and maintain your account Email, display name, Firebase UID, OAuth tokens
Manage your subscription and verify entitlements Firebase UID, RevenueCat subscription data
Send push notifications (scheduled-drive reminders and service announcements) FCM registration token
Send product news and tips by email, only if you opted in Email address, your opt-in choice and when you made it
Process and respond to feedback and bug reports Feedback text, severity, type, optional screenshots, App version, account info
Understand how the App is used, and find and fix bugs Product analytics events, device info
Manage infrastructure costs, plan capacity, and detect abuse of paid services Firebase UID, service usage counts (routing and search request totals)
Improve App features and user experience Aggregated, anonymized usage patterns
Enforce one active drive per account, apply rate and demo limits, enforce our Terms of Use, and prevent abuse and fraud Firebase UID, install ID, drive-session record, hashed IP address, access-denial and subscription-transfer records
Comply with legal obligations As required by applicable law

We do not use your personal information to serve you third-party advertising. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to data brokers or marketing companies.

6. Third-Party Services We Use

ShieldNav relies on the following third-party service providers. Each acts as a service provider or processor, meaning they may receive certain data only to perform services on our behalf. They are not authorized to use your data for their own independent purposes.

6.1 Firebase (Google LLC)

We use multiple Firebase and Google Cloud products: Authentication, Cloud Firestore (database), Cloud Storage, Cloud Functions (our server code), Cloud Messaging (push notifications), Google Analytics for Firebase (product analytics, Section 10.3), and App Check. Google may collect device identifiers and usage data in connection with these services.
Privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy

6.2 HERE Technologies

HERE provides maps, place search, routing, traffic, and speed-limit data. Your location, route requests, and search text are sent to HERE's servers to compute results, as described in Section 4.4.
Privacy policy: here.com/privacy

6.3 RevenueCat, Inc.

RevenueCat handles subscription management and in-app purchase validation. RevenueCat receives your Firebase UID, purchase receipts (from Apple), and subscription status, and its SDK collects basic device information (such as device model, iOS version, and IP address) to operate the service. RevenueCat does not receive your full name, email address, or payment card details.
Privacy policy: revenuecat.com/privacy

6.4 Apple (Sign in with Apple / App Store)

When you use Sign in with Apple, Apple shares a stable identifier and, optionally, an email address with us (Apple may relay the address). All payment processing for iOS subscriptions is handled solely by Apple.
Privacy policy: apple.com/privacy

6.5 Google (Google Sign-In)

When you use Google Sign-In, Google shares your name, email address, and a Google-specific identifier with us. No payment data is shared.
Privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy

6.6 CrimeoMeter (crime data)

The crime data shown in the App is licensed from CrimeoMeter, which collects incident reports published by police departments and city open-data portals. Our servers download it on a schedule for each city we cover. CrimeoMeter never receives your location or any other information about you.
Terms: crimeometer.com/tos

6.7 Website Providers

Our website is hosted on GitHub Pages, and the waitlist form uses Cloudflare Turnstile to block spam. See Section 10.5.

7. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

7.1 Service Providers

We share information with the third-party services listed in Section 6 strictly to operate the App. We choose providers whose contracts and published terms limit them to using your personal information to provide their services to us, and not for their own commercial purposes. Some providers (for example, HERE Technologies) may retain and use anonymized, aggregated data — data that can no longer reasonably identify you — to improve their own services, as described in Section 4.4.

7.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation, court order, subpoena, or other valid legal process. We may also disclose information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of any person, prevent fraud, or defend against legal claims.

7.3 Business Transfers

If ShieldNav LLC is involved in a merger, acquisition, asset sale, or other business transfer, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or a prominent in-App notice before your personal information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

7.4 With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties when you have given us explicit consent to do so.

7.5 Aggregated and De-Identified Data

We may share aggregated, anonymized, and de-identified information — information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you — for research, product improvement, or analytics purposes. This data is not linked to your individual account.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to provide the Services and fulfill the purposes described in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

Data Type Retention Period
Account information (email, display name, Firebase UID) Retained for the life of your account; deleted within 30 days of account deletion request
Guest sessions (and everything stored under them) A guest who has never subscribed is deleted automatically after 30 days without using the App. A guest who has subscribed is kept until you delete the guest data in the App (Section 13) or ask us to.
Product email opt-in (your choice and when you made it) Retained until you unsubscribe or delete your account
Profile picture (avatar choice or sign-in provider photo URL) Retained until you change it or delete your account
Real-time GPS location (active navigation session) Not stored server-side; discarded at session end
Saved places, recent destinations, and scheduled drives (addresses and coordinates) Retained until you edit or delete them in the App; deleted with your account
Scheduled-drive reminder records Deleted automatically after 30 days, or sooner when you delete the scheduled drive or your account
Drive logs Stored on-device only; not uploaded; deleted when you uninstall the App or clear App data
Feedback submissions Retained for up to 2 years to allow us to track and resolve reported issues, then deleted automatically along with any screenshots; deleted sooner if you delete your account
Waitlist sign-ups (name, email, consent record; optional phone number on older entries) Retained until we contact you about availability, or until you ask us to delete the entry — whichever comes first. Waitlist entries are not tied to an App account, so they are not covered by account deletion; email support@shieldnav.com to have yours removed.
FCM push notification tokens Retained while you have the App installed and notifications enabled; removed on account deletion
Install identifier Stays in your iPhone's Keychain, including across reinstalls; on our servers, kept only inside the drive-session and access-denial records below
Drive-session record (one per account) Overwritten by each new drive; deleted with your account
Access-denial records Deleted automatically after 90 days; deleted sooner if you delete your account
Subscription-transfer records and related internal alerts Retained while the accounts involved exist; your ID is removed when you delete your account
Hashed IP addresses (rate and demo limits) Deleted automatically within two days
Server request logs (Google Cloud) Deleted automatically after 30 days
Product-interaction analytics events (Firebase Analytics) In Google Analytics, event-level data is deleted automatically after 2 months, and data tied to your analytics identifier after 14 months without activity. The copy we export to our own Google Cloud project (BigQuery) is deleted automatically after 14 months.
Service usage counts (monthly and daily request totals for your account) Monthly totals: 13 months. Daily totals: 90 days. Both deleted automatically, and sooner if you delete your account
Subscription records (RevenueCat) Retained per RevenueCat's policies; typically up to 2 years for dispute resolution. See RevenueCat's privacy policy.

When you delete your account, we initiate deletion within 30 days. Some anonymized or aggregated data may be retained indefinitely as it cannot be linked back to you. Certain data may be retained longer where required by applicable law (for example, for tax or fraud-prevention purposes).

9. Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure. These measures include:

No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights or freedoms, we will notify affected users and relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it responsibly to support@shieldnav.com.

10. Cookies, SDKs, and Tracking Technologies

10.1 Mobile App — No Traditional Cookies

ShieldNav is a native mobile app and does not use browser cookies. However, similar tracking technologies operate within the App through third-party SDKs:

10.2 App Tracking Transparency (iOS)

ShieldNav does not track you across other companies' apps or websites. The App does not include Apple's advertising-identifier framework, never reads the IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers), and never asks for tracking permission.

10.3 Analytics

We use Firebase Analytics (Google Analytics for Firebase) to understand how users interact with the App — for example, onboarding completion, feature usage, and navigation session activity — so we can improve the product experience. Analytics events are associated with your account's internal Firebase user ID, but are not linked to your name, email address, or other directly identifying contact information, and never include your precise location. Google Analytics estimates your general area (such as city or region) from your IP address, and we record whether you are on a free trial or a paid plan as an analytics attribute. We may export analytics events to our own Google Cloud project (BigQuery) to analyse them; the opt-out below applies there too.

10.4 Opting Out

You can turn off the product analytics described in Section 10.3 at any time, from inside the App:

You can separately limit other collection by:

Resetting your device's advertising identifier in iOS Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking has no effect on ShieldNav, because we do not use the advertising identifier and our analytics are not tied to it (see Section 10.2).

10.5 Our Website

shieldnav.com sets no cookies and runs no analytics, advertising pixels, or tracking scripts. Its fonts and images are served from the site itself.

10.6 Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control

We do not track you across other websites or apps and do not sell or share personal information for advertising, so there is nothing for a Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal to turn off. If your browser sends a GPC signal, we treat it as a request to opt out of any sale or sharing of your personal information.

11. Your Rights and Choices

Regardless of where you live, we provide the following rights to all ShieldNav users:

11.1 Right to Access

You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you, which we provide in a commonly used, machine-readable format (such as JSON or CSV). Email us at support@shieldnav.com with the subject line "Data Access Request." We will respond within 45 days.

11.2 Right to Correction

You may update your display name and profile picture directly in the App (Settings › tap your profile card). To correct your email address or other account data, contact us at support@shieldnav.com.

11.3 Right to Deletion

You may request deletion of your personal information at any time. See Section 13 for step-by-step instructions. We will process deletion requests within 30 days, subject to any legal retention requirements.

11.4 Right to Opt Out of Non-Essential Communications

You may opt out of push notifications at any time via your device Settings. If you opted in to product emails, you can turn them off at any time in the App under Settings → Product Emails, use the unsubscribe link included in every one, or email support@shieldnav.com to stop them. Note that we may still send you transactional messages (e.g., account security alerts) that are necessary for the operation of your account.

11.5 Right to Withdraw Consent

We process your precise location only with your consent, which you give through Apple's location prompt. Where processing is based on consent, including location, you may withdraw consent at any time by adjusting your device permissions. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal.

11.6 Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights. You will not receive a reduced quality of service, higher prices, or penalties for making a request.

11.7 Submitting a Request

To exercise any of the above rights, email us at support@shieldnav.com. We may ask you to verify your identity before fulfilling the request to protect your account security.

12. U.S. State Privacy Rights (including California)

Several U.S. states give their residents rights over their personal information, including California (the CCPA, as amended by the CPRA), Indiana, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and others. We honor the requests described in Section 11 and below for everyone, wherever you live, including the right to appeal a decision (Section 12.10). The disclosures below use the CCPA's categories.

12.1 Categories of Personal Information Collected

Over the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information as defined by the CCPA:

CCPA Category Examples Collected? Disclosed for a business purpose to
Identifiers Email address, Firebase UID, install ID, app-instance ID, hashed IP address Yes Google (Firebase and Google Cloud); RevenueCat (Firebase UID, and IP address through its SDK); HERE (your device's IP address when the map downloads tiles); for the website, GitHub and Cloudflare (IP address)
Personal information (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80) Name, email address, sign-in provider profile photo URL Yes Google (Firebase)
Commercial information Subscription status, free-trial and purchase history, redeemed offer codes Yes RevenueCat; Google (Firebase, including whether you are on a trial or a paid plan as an analytics attribute)
Geolocation data GPS coordinates while you use the App; saved places and scheduled-drive endpoints you choose; approximate area estimated from your IP address by Google Analytics Yes (real-time coordinates are not stored; saved places are stored until you delete them — see Section 4.3) HERE (coordinates and addresses needed to answer a route, search, or map request); Google (Firebase stores your saved places and scheduled drives; Google Analytics estimates your general area)
Internet / electronic network activity Product analytics events; search text passed to HERE (not stored by us); monthly and daily counts of requests made for your account; drive-session check-ins; access-denial records Yes Google (Firebase and Google Cloud); HERE (search text)
Inferences drawn from personal information We do not build profiles of you or draw inferences about your characteristics No —
Sensitive personal information — precise geolocation GPS coordinates while you use the App; coordinates of places you save Yes (navigation is in-session only; saved places are stored at your direction — see Section 4) HERE; Google (Firebase)
Financial information Payment card data No (payments are handled by Apple) —
Protected classifications Race, religion, health status, etc. No —
Biometric information Fingerprints, facial recognition data No —
Audio/visual information Voice recordings, photos taken in-app No (feedback screenshots only if you attach them) Google (Firebase Storage holds any screenshot you attach)

12.2 Sources of Personal Information

We collect personal information from:

12.3 Business or Commercial Purposes for Collection

As described in Section 5 above.

12.4 Categories of Third Parties We Share With

As described in Sections 6 and 7 above. We share with:

12.5 Sale or Sharing of Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information. We do not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise share your personal information with third parties for monetary or other valuable consideration. We do not share your personal information with third parties for cross-context behavioral advertising. Because we do not sell or share anyone's personal information, we have no actual knowledge of selling or sharing the personal information of consumers under 16. ShieldNav is for adults 18 and older (Section 2).

12.6 Use of Sensitive Personal Information

Precise geolocation is "sensitive" data under the CPRA and under other state laws such as Indiana's, Colorado's, Connecticut's, and Virginia's. We process it only with your consent, given through Apple's location prompt, which you can withdraw at any time in your device Settings (Section 4.6). We collect it in two ways: (1) while you use the App, used in real time only and not stored persistently on our servers; and (2) as the coordinates of places you explicitly save (Home, Work, custom places, recent destinations, and scheduled drives), which are stored in your account at your direction until you delete them (see Section 4.3). We use this information only to provide the core features of the App. You have the right to direct us to limit the use of your sensitive personal information to the uses necessary to provide the requested services. Our use is already limited as described — no further opt-out is required.

12.7 Your CCPA Rights

California residents have the right to:

12.8 How to Submit a CCPA Request

To exercise your CCPA rights, email us at support@shieldnav.com with the subject line "CCPA Privacy Request." We will respond within 45 calendar days. We may extend the response period by an additional 45 days when reasonably necessary and will notify you of such extension. We will verify your identity before fulfilling the request. If you have an account, we verify you by asking you to send the request from, or reply from, the email address on your account, or to sign in to the App again. If you use ShieldNav as a guest, we verify you with the Guest ID shown under Settings › Delete Guest Data. We ask only for what we need to match your request to your data.

You may designate an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf. Authorized agents must provide written authorization and we may require you to verify your identity directly with us.

12.9 Shine the Light

California Civil Code § 1798.83 permits California residents to request information about personal information shared with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. As noted above, we do not share personal information with third parties for direct marketing.

12.10 Appeals

If we decline all or part of a privacy request, we will explain why. You can appeal by replying to our decision or emailing support@shieldnav.com with the subject line "Privacy Appeal" within 60 days. We will respond in writing within 60 days of receiving your appeal. If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you may contact your state attorney general.

13. How to Delete Your Account

You can delete your ShieldNav account, or your guest data if you use ShieldNav without an account, and the associated data at any time using either of the following methods:

Method 1: In-App Deletion (Recommended)

With an account:

  1. Open ShieldNav and go to Settings.
  2. Tap your profile card at the top.
  3. Tap Delete Account.
  4. Type "delete" and confirm. You may be asked to sign in again first.

As a guest (no account):

  1. Open ShieldNav and go to Settings.
  2. Tap Delete Guest Data and confirm.

Method 2: Email Request

Email support@shieldnav.com from the email address associated with your account, with the subject line "Delete My Account." Guests have no email address on file, so include the Guest ID shown under Settings › Delete Guest Data. We will confirm the deletion within 30 days.

What Happens When You Delete Your Account

Important — Subscription Cancellation: Deleting your ShieldNav account or guest data does NOT automatically cancel your App Store subscription. You must cancel your subscription separately through your device's subscription settings to stop being charged. Deleting the App alone will not cancel a subscription.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other business reasons. When we make material changes, we will:

Your continued use of ShieldNav after the effective date of the revised policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes. If you do not agree with the updated policy, please discontinue use of the App and delete your account.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. The current version is always available within the App under Settings › Privacy Policy, and at shieldnav.com/privacy.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

ShieldNav LLC (an Indiana limited liability company)
Email: support@shieldnav.com
Website: shieldnav.com

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 5 business days and to fulfill substantive rights requests within 45 calendar days, unless a longer period is permitted by applicable law.