Privacy Policy
Last updated: April 12, 2026
BackcountryAssistant ("we", "us", "our") provides AI-powered field intelligence for satellite messengers and mobile phones. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using the service you agree to this policy.
1. Information we collect
Account information
- Email address, display name, and password (stored hashed).
- Optional profile details: timezone, unit preferences, reply language.
- Optional Garmin MapShare ID and emergency contact.
Mobile phone number (optional, SMS users only)
- If you choose to use the SMS relay feature, we collect the mobile phone number you provide and your explicit opt-in consent (timestamp and the consent text you agreed to).
- We collect the content of SMS messages you send to the service and replies we send to you, in order to operate the conversational assistant.
Trip and location data
- Routes, waypoints, trip drafts, and gear notes you create in the app.
- GPS coordinates from Garmin MapShare (if you link it) used to answer location-aware questions.
Payment data
- Subscription billing is handled by Stripe. We do not store card numbers. We store the Stripe customer ID and subscription status.
Usage and diagnostic data
- Application logs, error reports, and basic request metadata (timestamp, endpoint).
2. How we use information
- To operate the assistant, deliver SMS/satellite replies, and respond to your questions.
- To provide proactive safety alerts (weather, wildfire, air quality, avalanche) that you have enabled.
- To authenticate you, bill your subscription, and provide customer support.
- To improve reliability and debug issues via logs.
SMS / mobile information — no third-party sharing for marketing.
Mobile information — including your phone number, SMS opt-in status, and the content of SMS messages you exchange with BackcountryAssistant — will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Mobile opt-in consent and phone numbers are never sold, rented, or traded. Any sharing of mobile data is limited to subprocessors strictly necessary to deliver the messages you requested (e.g., our SMS carrier), as described in Section 3.
3. Who we share information with
We share information only with service providers who process it on our behalf to operate the service:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) — application hosting, database, and SMS delivery (AWS End User Messaging / SNS).
- Stripe — payment processing.
- Anthropic — the Claude model that generates replies. Message content is sent to Anthropic to produce your response; it is not used to train their models (per their API terms).
- Garmin — if you link a MapShare feed, we fetch your public MapShare data from Garmin.
- Weather, avalanche, wildfire, and river data providers — we call public APIs (NWS, NOAA, avalanche.org, NIFC, USGS, Open-Meteo). We send them only the data needed to fulfill a query (typically a coordinate).
We do not sell personal information. We do not share mobile numbers or SMS opt-in data with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes.
4. Data retention
- Account data is retained for the life of your account. You can delete your account at any time from Profile settings; this removes account data, conversations, and trips.
- Message logs are retained for up to 90 days for reliability and abuse prevention, then purged.
- Aggregate, de-identified usage metrics may be retained indefinitely.
5. Your choices
- SMS opt-out. Reply STOP to any SMS from us to immediately unsubscribe. Reply HELP for help. You can also clear the SMS opt-in checkbox or remove your phone number in Profile settings.
- Access / export. Use "Download My Data" in Profile to export your data.
- Deletion. Use "Delete Account" in Profile to permanently delete your account and associated data.
- Email. Contact hello@backcountryassistant.com for any privacy request.
6. Security
We use industry-standard measures: TLS in transit, encryption at rest, hashed passwords, least-privilege access. No system is perfectly secure; if we become aware of a material breach of your data, we will notify you.
7. Children
The service is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13.
8. International users
The service is operated from the United States. By using it you consent to your data being processed in the US.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance.
10. Contact
Questions about this policy or privacy requests: hello@backcountryassistant.com.