Privacy Policy

When you register and use Echo Link, we collect the following categories of information:

We use your information solely to provide and improve the Echo Link service:

• Authenticate your identity and manage your account access
• Enable push-to-talk voice communication over assigned channels
• Dispatch and track emergency panic alerts to nearby responders
• Display your online/offline status to your channel members
• Send announcements from your estate or neighbourhood watch administrator
• Generate operational reports and activity analytics for your organisation
• Provide technical support and resolve service issues

Echo Link requests access to your device's location for the following purposes:

• Pinpointing your exact position when you trigger a panic/emergency alert
• Allowing responders to navigate to your location during an emergency
• Displaying your position on the emergency map visible to your administrator

You may revoke location permissions at any time through your device settings. Note that doing so will disable emergency alert functionality.

Echo Link uses your device microphone to enable push-to-talk (PTT) voice communication. The following applies to all audio data:

• Audio is transmitted in real-time to other members of your assigned channel
• Transmissions are routed through our secure LiveKit SFU server hosted in South Africa
• Audio streams are not permanently recorded or stored on our servers
• Microphone access is only active when you press and hold the PTT button

We share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Your Organisation: Your name, status, and channel activity are visible to your estate manager or neighbourhood watch administrator
• Fellow Channel Members: Your name and online status are visible to others in your assigned channels
• Emergency Responders: Your location and identity are shared with responders during an active emergency alert
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by South African law or court order

We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as required to provide the service:

• Account data is retained for the duration of your active membership
• Emergency alert records are retained for 2 years for operational and legal purposes
• Activity logs (online/offline status) are retained for 90 days
• Announcement records are retained for 1 year
• Upon account deletion, all personal data is permanently removed within 30 days

Under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and applicable data protection laws, you have the following rights:

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the details provided in Section 11.

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information:

• All data transmitted between the app and our servers is encrypted using TLS/SSL
• API access is protected using token-based authentication
• Our servers are hosted in a secure South African data centre
• Access to personal data is restricted to authorised personnel only
• Regular security reviews and updates are performed on our infrastructure

While we take all reasonable precautions, no method of electronic transmission is 100% secure. We encourage you to keep your login credentials confidential and report any suspicious activity immediately.

Echo Link is designed for use by security personnel, neighbourhood watch members, and estate residents who are 18 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18.

If you believe a minor has registered an account, please contact us immediately and we will remove the account and associated data promptly.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Send an in-app announcement notifying you of the changes
• Where required by law, request your consent to the updated terms

Continued use of Echo Link after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

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