BeaconShield Privacy Policy
Last updated: June 2026 · https://beacon-shield.com/privacy
1. Who we are
BeaconShield ("we", "us") is a mobile app that shows live, crowdsourced emergency room and walk-in clinic wait times in Canada. Contact: BeaconShieldApp@gmail.com.
2. Information we collect
Account information: your email address, display name, and profile picture when you sign up with Google or create an account with email and password. Passwords are stored only as a salted bcrypt hash — never in plain text. For Google sign-ins we also store your numeric Google account identifier.
Location: with your permission, the app uses your device's GPS on-device only to find nearby hospitals, sort them by distance, and estimate drive times. We never store your GPS coordinates on our servers. When you check in for a hospital trip, we save only the hospital you chose, the estimated driving minutes, and the distance in kilometres.
Hospital activity: wait-time reports you submit (hospital, reported wait, timestamp), reviews and ratings you write, favourites, hospital views, share events, arrival check-ins, wait alerts you set, and names of family members you add for alerts (names only — we collect no contact details for them).
AI triage chat: messages you send to the in-app AI assistant and its replies are saved as chat history you can view and delete inside the app. Because you may describe symptoms, treat these chats as health-related information. If a message contains emergency terms, we log the detection with a one-way hashed IP address (never the raw IP) for safety auditing.
Device and security data: device model and platform (for example "Pixel 8 · Android") for each login session, shown in your account's device list and used to email you about new-device sign-ins. Session tokens expire after 7 days.
3. How we use your information
To show accurate wait times, power community features (reports, reviews, streaks, badges, leaderboards, referrals), send the emails you request (weekly impact digest, password resets, new-device alerts), personalise your experience, respond to support requests, and keep the service safe.
4. What we do NOT collect
No stored GPS location history, no contacts, no photos, no advertising identifiers, no payment information, no official health records. We do not sell or rent personal information to anyone, and we do not use your data for third-party advertising.
5. Who we share data with
We use a small number of service providers to run BeaconShield: Google (sign-in authentication), Google Maps (map display), OpenAI/Anthropic via a managed AI service (processing triage chat messages), and Resend (email delivery). Each receives only what is necessary to perform its function. We may disclose information if required by law.
6. Data retention
Account data is kept while your account is active. Wait reports and reviews persist as anonymised community data. AI chat history is kept until you delete it in the app. Session records expire automatically after 7 days.
7. Deleting your data
You can permanently delete your account and all associated data at any time from Settings → Delete account inside the app, or by emailing BeaconShieldApp@gmail.com. Deletion removes your profile, chats, reports attribution, favourites, alerts, and family members.
8. Security
Data is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS, passwords are bcrypt-hashed, login codes are single-use and short-lived, and access to production systems is restricted.
9. Children
BeaconShield is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect their information.
10. Canadian privacy law
We handle personal information in accordance with PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act). You may request access to or correction of your personal information by contacting us.
11. Important health disclaimer
BeaconShield provides community-reported wait estimates and AI-generated general information only — it is not medical advice. In an emergency, always call 911.
12. Changes
We will post any material changes to this page and update the date above.
BeaconShield Terms of Service
Last updated: June 2026 · https://beacon-shield.com/terms
1. Acceptance of terms
By creating an account, downloading, installing, or using the BeaconShield mobile application (the "App") or visiting beacon-shield.com (the "Site"), you agree to these Terms of Service ("Terms") and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the App or Site. These Terms are an agreement between you and BeaconShield ("BeaconShield", "we", "us"). The same Terms are shown in-app under Settings → Legal.
2. Not a substitute for emergency services
The App displays estimated emergency-room and walk-in clinic wait times and offers an AI assistant to help you think through your options. It is not a medical device, does not provide medical advice or diagnosis, and does not replace professional medical judgment, a nurse line such as 811, or emergency services. Always call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency. Never delay seeking care because of information shown in the App.
3. Accounts and eligibility
- You may sign in with Google or register with an email address and password. You must provide accurate information and keep your credentials confidential.
- You are responsible for activity on your account. Review your active sessions in “Your devices” and sign out of any you do not recognise.
- You must be at least 13 years old (14 in Québec) to create an account. If you are under the age of majority in your province, a parent or guardian must agree to these Terms on your behalf.
- Family members you add are labels only (a name) to help you plan; you confirm you have the right to add them.
4. Internal testing program
The App is currently available only to invited participants in an internal testing program through Google Play and the Apple App Store. Test builds may be unstable, may change without notice, and may be withdrawn at any time. Features described on the Site may not be available in the current build. Feedback you provide during testing may be used by us without obligation to you.
5. Your reports, reviews, and chats
You may submit wait-time reports, reviews, ratings, and messages to the AI assistant ("User Content"). You keep ownership of your User Content. You grant BeaconShield a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, display, aggregate, and de-identify User Content in order to operate and improve the App — for example, to show community wait-time estimates and hospital ratings to other users. You agree that your reports and reviews:
- reflect your honest, first-hand experience;
- do not contain personal information about other people, including hospital staff or patients;
- are not defamatory, abusive, discriminatory, or unlawful; and
- are not submitted to manipulate rankings or wait-time estimates.
We may remove User Content that violates these Terms and may suspend accounts that repeatedly do so.
6. AI triage assistant
The AI assistant generates responses using third-party large language models. Its replies are for general informational purposes, may be incomplete or incorrect, and are not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Do not rely on it in an emergency. Chat history is saved so you can refer back to it, and you can delete it at any time in-app. Do not share other people's health information in the chat.
7. Wait-time estimates
Wait times shown in the App are estimates derived from user-submitted reports, historical patterns, and, where available, publicly published hospital data. They may be delayed, incomplete, or inaccurate, and actual wait times depend on patient acuity and hospital conditions that we do not control. Hospitals triage by medical need, not by arrival order. Drive-time estimates come from mapping providers and depend on traffic. We make no guarantee that you will be seen within any displayed time or arrive by any displayed ETA.
8. Referrals, badges, and alerts
- Referral codes, streaks, badges, and leaderboards are for recognition only. They have no cash value, cannot be transferred or redeemed for money, and may be modified or discontinued at any time.
- Wait alerts and arrival check-ins are conveniences, not guarantees. Alerts may be delayed or fail to deliver.
- You may unsubscribe from the weekly impact digest at any time. Security and password-reset emails are essential to the service and are sent while your account is active.
9. Acceptable use
Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the App for personal, non-commercial purposes. You agree not to:
- reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code of the App;
- scrape, harvest, or redistribute wait-time data, reviews, or other content from the App or Site;
- submit false reports, create multiple accounts, or abuse referral codes;
- interfere with the operation or security of the App or other users' accounts; or
- use the App for any unlawful purpose.
10. Intellectual property
The App, Site, and all related content, trademarks, and logos (other than your User Content) are owned by BeaconShield or its licensors and are protected by intellectual-property laws. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right to use our trademarks without prior written consent.
12. Disclaimers
TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE APP AND SITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE APP WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT WAIT-TIME INFORMATION OR AI RESPONSES WILL BE ACCURATE OR CURRENT.
13. Limitation of liability
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, BEACONSHIELD AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND SUPPLIERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE APP OR SITE, INCLUDING RELIANCE ON ANY WAIT-TIME ESTIMATE OR AI RESPONSE. OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM SHALL NOT EXCEED CAD $50.
Some provinces, including Québec, do not allow certain limitations of liability or warranty exclusions for consumers. Nothing in these Terms limits rights you have under applicable consumer-protection law that cannot be waived.
14. Termination
You may delete your account at any time in-app (Settings → Delete account). We may suspend or terminate your access at any time for violation of these Terms, or at the end of the internal testing program, with notice where reasonably practical. Sections that by their nature should survive termination will survive.
15. Governing law and disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of Canada and the province in which BeaconShield is based, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Subject to any non-waivable consumer rights, disputes will be resolved in the courts of that province.
16. Changes to these terms
We may revise these Terms as the App evolves. The current version will always be posted at this URL and in-app with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.