Privacy & Policies

1. Information We Collect

A) Information you provide

• Account information: name, email, password (stored hashed), role (Student/Donor), preferences
• Student profile information: school, major, home city, bio (optional), and other profile fields you choose to provide
• Wishlist information: retailer links, item descriptions, quantities, priorities, and related details
• Delivery address (students): a delivery address (campus delivery encouraged) so donors can ship purchased item(s); we do not display addresses publicly
• Communications: support requests, reports, feedback, and other communications you send to us

B) Information collected automatically

• Log and device data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages viewed, timestamps
• Cookies/local storage: authentication, security, preferences, and (if enabled) analytics

C) Information we discourage you from sharing publicly

We strongly discourage posting sensitive personal info publicly (phone number, personal address, government IDs, financial info). We may remove it for safety.

2. How We Use Information

We use personal information to:

• Operate, maintain, and provide the Platform
• Display student profiles and wishlists based on visibility controls
• Facilitate address display to donors at purchase-intent moments
• Verify eligibility and prevent fraud, abuse, and duplicate purchases
• Provide customer support and respond to reports
• Improve features, performance, and security
• Enforce our Terms and policies

3. Address Data Handling (Delivery Information)

We treat delivery addresses as sensitive account information:

• We do not display student delivery addresses publicly.
• We may display a delivery address only to logged-in donors when the donor indicates intent to purchase and needs the address to ship an item (e.g., after clicking a purchase/checkout button).
• We may log address access events (e.g., timestamp, donor account, and item context) for safety, auditing, and fraud prevention.
• We may limit address visibility, frequency of access, or require additional verification to protect users.

4. How We Share Information

A) With other users

• Student profile information and wishlists may be public or limited depending on settings.
• Donors may view a student’s delivery address only when needed to ship purchased item(s). Donors are prohibited from using it for any other purpose (see Terms).

B) With service providers

We share personal information with third-party service providers who help us operate the Platform (hosting, email delivery, analytics, customer support tools). These providers are contractually restricted to use information only to provide services to SOS.

C) For legal and safety reasons

We may disclose information to comply with legal obligations, respond to lawful requests, enforce our Terms, or protect SOS and users from fraud, abuse, or security threats.

D) Business transfers

If SOS is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

5. Retailer Purchases

SOS does not process payments for retailer purchases. When you click out to a retailer, your purchase and any information you provide to that retailer are governed by that retailer’s privacy policy and terms.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information as needed to operate the Platform, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. We may retain limited information for security and fraud prevention even after deletion requests where permitted.

7. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Privacy Choices and Rights (Including California)

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights to request access to, deletion of, and information about the use/sharing of your personal information.

How to submit a request: email privacy@sos-app.org with your account email and request details. We may verify your identity before responding.

We do not sell personal information in the traditional sense. If we later engage in activity legally defined as a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information, we will provide appropriate notices and opt-out mechanisms.

9. Cookies and Do Not Track

We use cookies for authentication, security, and preferences, and may use analytics cookies if enabled. You can control cookies through your browser settings, but the Platform may not work correctly without essential cookies.

Because there is no universally accepted standard for “Do Not Track” signals, we do not currently respond to them in a uniform way.

10. Children’s Privacy

The Platform is intended for users 18+. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact privacy@sos-app.org.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy and will revise the “Last Updated” date. Continued use after changes means you accept the updated Policy.