Testing Privacy Policy

Version: 2026-08-07-testing-draft-1 · Effective for invited testing: August 7, 2026

Legal-review draft: This policy describes the current controlled-testing design. Data flows, vendors, retention periods, user-rights procedures, and required state notices must be confirmed by counsel before public launch.

1. Scope

This policy describes how Trail Connector collects, uses, discloses, and protects information through its website, mobile application, APIs, and administration tools. It applies to requesters, helpers, administrators, and invited testers.

2. Information we collect

Account information: display name, email address, phone number, password credentials in hashed form, account role, verification status, and account activity.
Helper information: legal name, service area, experience description, declared capabilities, agreement acceptance, review decisions, and verification signals.
Location information: request coordinates, approximate coordinates shown during matching, helper check-in coordinates, selected alert or search radius, and timestamps associated with location use.
Requests and interactions: request descriptions, urgency, photos, offers, acceptance decisions, messages, incident status, reports, blocks, and moderation records.
Technical and security information: session tokens in protected form, user-agent information associated with sessions or consent, delivery and error records, and audit events used to secure and administer the Platform.
Consent records: the document type and version accepted, acceptance context, and timestamp.

3. How location works

The mobile app requests device location when a user starts a location-dependent action, such as creating a request, checking nearby helper counts, becoming available, or updating a helper area. Trail Connector does not currently perform continuous background tracking.

Nearby helper results are anonymous counts. Individual helper names and coordinates are not returned by that count. Approximate request coordinates support discovery. Exact request coordinates become available to the requester and an accepted helper through the incident workflow. Users should not infer that any displayed location remains current.

4. How we use information

Trail Connector uses information to create and secure accounts; verify contact details; match requests and helpers; enable conversations; share authorized incident location; administer helper applications; provide password recovery and notifications; investigate reports; prevent fraud and abuse; maintain audit records; troubleshoot and improve testing; comply with law; and protect users, the public, and the Platform.

5. When information is disclosed

Between users: information is shared as needed for request discovery, helper review, accepted assistance, and incident communication.
Service providers: infrastructure, email, SMS verification, hosting, and similar providers process information for Trail Connector under their own contractual and security obligations.
Safety and legal reasons: information may be preserved or disclosed when reasonably necessary to respond to emergencies, protect rights or safety, investigate abuse, comply with legal process, or enforce Platform rules.
Business changes: information may transfer as part of a merger, financing, acquisition, restructuring, or sale, subject to applicable law and continued notice.

Trail Connector does not currently sell personal information or use precise location for targeted advertising. If that changes, this policy and required choices must be updated before the practice begins.

6. Retention

Information is retained only as reasonably needed for the purposes described above. Helper check-in freshness is time-limited for matching. Requests, accepted-response records, messages, reports, moderation records, legal acceptances, and security audit events may be retained longer because they document incidents, user choices, abuse prevention, and legal obligations. Specific retention schedules and deletion exceptions must be finalized before public launch.

7. Security

Trail Connector uses safeguards intended to protect data, including encrypted network transport, password hashing, short-lived authenticated sessions, role-based administration, limited location disclosure, verification rate limits, audit logging, and controlled infrastructure access. No security method is perfect, and Trail Connector cannot guarantee that unauthorized access will never occur.

8. Your choices

You may choose whether to become an available helper, update a helper area, attach a photo, respond, accept a helper, or continue an interaction. Device permissions can be changed through operating-system settings, although location-dependent functions may then be unavailable. During testing, account correction, access, deactivation, or deletion requests should be directed to the test coordinator. Some information may be retained for safety, legal, and integrity reasons.

9. Children

The Platform is not intended for anyone under 18, and Trail Connector does not knowingly permit children to create accounts. If information from a child is discovered, contact the test coordinator so appropriate action can be taken.

10. Changes and contact

Material changes may require a new acknowledgment. The Platform records the policy version acknowledged. Invited testers should contact their test coordinator with privacy questions or requests until a permanent privacy contact is established.