Privacy Policy

Update Date : June 19, 2026

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Version: 3.0 Operator: Apex AR Systems, LLC, PO Box 27, 401 McElroy Drive, Oxford, Mississippi 38655

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PLAIN-ENGLISH SUMMARY (read this first)

Apex Scout collects what we need to keep you informed in the backcountry — your location, the contacts and teammates you choose to add, and the conditions you report.

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Here is the straight version on data:

We do not show ads, and we do not track you across other apps for advertising.
We do not sell data that identifies you — not your name, email, phone number, or account.
We do create de-identified, aggregated data from activity on the platform (for example, how many people moved through an area), and we may use that internally and license or sell it to third parties for things like modeling, research, and marketing. It cannot reasonably be tied back to you.
You can opt out. By default your activity contributes to those de-identified, aggregated data sets, but you can turn that off anytime and keep using the app (see Section 7).

We use third parties (Twilio, SendGrid, Mapbox, Firebase/Google, Apple) only to deliver the app's core features. They see only what they need to do their job.

You can see, export, or delete your data anytime by emailing privacy@apexarsystems.com.

The full legal version below covers the details. If anything is unclear, ask us — don't guess.

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1. WHO WE ARE

Apex AR Systems, LLC ("Apex," "we," "us," or "our") is a Mississippi limited liability company headquartered in Oxford, Mississippi. We operate the Apex Scout outdoor safety platform, which includes the Apex Scout Companion iOS application and the apexarsystems.com website (collectively, the "Services").

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, share, retain, and protect personal information when you use the Services. It also describes the rights and choices available to you regarding your personal information. It is incorporated into our Terms of Service.

By using the Services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

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2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you sign up, set up your account, or use the Services, you provide:

Account information: Email address, name, phone number, account password
Emergency contacts: Names, phone numbers, and email addresses of contacts you designate to receive emergency notifications
Team connections: The identity (display name and account) of the people you connect with for live location sharing (Team Tracking)
Profile information: Activity type (hiker, hunter, etc.), home state, experience level
Ground truth reports: Wildlife sightings, weather conditions, and trail hazards you submit, including any optional photos
Survey responses: Answers to surveys
Support communications: Messages you send to support@apexarsystems.com or feedback channels
Subscription information: Your subscription plan (tier), status, and purchase history. Purchases are processed by Apple through the App Store; we receive your subscription status and purchase history from Apple and do not collect or store your payment card details.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use the Services, we automatically collect:

Location data (precise geolocation): GPS coordinates, altitude, heading, and speed — collected while the app is active and you have granted location permission. Precise geolocation is treated as sensitive information. It is used to display alerts relevant to your location and, if you enable Team Tracking, to share your live location with the people you connect with.
Device information: Device model, operating system version, app version, language preference, time zone
Usage data: Features accessed, alert dismissals, app session duration, crash reports
Push notification token: A device push token issued by Apple, used to deliver alerts and emergency-related notifications to your device. You can disable notifications at any time in iOS Settings.
Photo metadata (EXIF): When you take a snapshot using the in-app camera, your precise GPS coordinates, altitude, and timestamp are embedded in the photo's EXIF metadata. Because this is location data, it is on by default so your safety snapshots are geotagged, and you can turn it off at any time in the app's Settings. If you turn it off, new snapshots will not contain embedded location metadata.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

Backend services (server-side prediction model): Inference results based on your location and activity
Map providers (Mapbox): Map tile usage analytics necessary to deliver maps to your device
Authentication providers (Firebase/Google): Account verification status

2.4 Information We Do NOT Collect

For clarity, we do not collect:

Health, fitness, or biometric data (heart rate, blood oxygen, etc.)
Contacts from your device address book without your explicit selection
Photos or videos from your camera roll without your explicit selection
Browsing history outside the Services
Information from social media accounts you have not explicitly linked

3. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We use the information we collect to:

Deliver core features: Display wildlife, weather, lightning, and trail alerts based on your location
Provide Team Tracking: Share your live location with the people you connect with, while you are actively sharing and your subscription is active
Send emergency notifications and alerts: Deliver SMS, email, and push notifications — including, when you activate an emergency feature, alerts to your designated contacts containing your location and recovery point
Manage your subscription: Determine your plan tier and entitlements, confirm active status, and provide access to paid features. Subscription billing, renewal, and free-trial terms are governed by our Terms of Service and by Apple's App Store terms
Improve prediction accuracy and our models: Use your reports and activity (in de-identified and aggregated form at the model layer) to refine our prediction models
Create de-identified and aggregated data: As described in Section 4.5, including for internal analysis and for licensing or sale to third parties
Provide customer support: Respond to inquiries, resolve issues, and process feedback
Communicate about the Services: Send updates, survey invitations, and operational notices
Maintain security: Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access
Comply with legal obligations: Respond to lawful requests from authorities and comply with applicable laws
Analyze and improve performance: Identify bugs, optimize battery use, improve user experience

We do NOT:

Sell or license data that identifies you (your name, email, phone number, or account)
Show advertising in the Services
Track you across other applications or websites for advertising purposes
Build cross-app advertising profiles about you

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4. HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION

We share information only as described below.

4.1 Service Providers

We share information with third-party service providers who help us deliver the Services. These providers are bound by contract to use your information only for the purposes we specify.

Provider

Purpose

Data Shared

Twilio (USA)

SMS delivery for emergency notifications

Recipient phone number, message content (your name, GPS link, recovery point link)

SendGrid (USA)

Email delivery for emergency notifications and account communications

Recipient email, message content

Firebase / Google Cloud (USA)

Authentication, database, app analytics

Email, account ID, app usage events

Mapbox (USA)

Map rendering

Anonymized API usage telemetry

Apple (USA)

App distribution and in-app purchases/subscriptions via the App Store, push notification delivery

Device push tokens, crash logs, subscription and purchase status

Apex AR Systems backend

Wildlife / weather / trail predictions

Location, device ID, alert preferences

4.2 Your Team Connections

If you use Team Tracking, your live location and display name are shared with the specific users you have connected with, and only while you are actively sharing, your subscription is active, and your location fix is recent. You control who you connect with and can stop sharing or remove a connection at any time. See the Terms of Service, Section 5.

4.3 Emergency Recipients

When you activate an emergency feature, we send your location, recovery point, and a brief explanatory message to the emergency contacts you have designated. You control who receives these notifications by managing your emergency contacts list in the app. You are responsible for having each contact's permission to add them (see Terms of Service, Section 7.2).

4.4 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid legal process (subpoena, court order, government investigation). We will notify you of such requests unless prohibited by law.

4.5 De-Identified and Aggregated Data (Including Data We Sell)

We create de-identified data (data that cannot reasonably be used to identify you) and aggregated data (data combined across many users and expressed at a group or population level — for example, how many people traveled through a given area during a given period). We may use, license, share, and sell this de-identified and aggregated data to third parties for any lawful purpose, including modeling, research, testing, product development, marketing, and analytics.

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When we do this:

We do not include information that directly identifies you (name, email, phone number, account identifier).
We commit not to attempt to re-identify de-identified data, and we contractually require recipients not to re-identify it.
You may opt out of contributing your data to the de-identified and aggregated data sets we share with or sell to third parties — see Section 7. Opting out does not affect our internal use of data to operate and improve the Services, and it does not require recall of data already shared in de-identified or aggregated form.

4.6 Business Transfers

If Apex AR Systems is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.

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5. HOW LONG WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION

We retain your information only as long as necessary to provide the Services and fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

Data Type

Retention Period

Account information (email, name, phone)

Active account + 90 days after deletion request

Location history

30 days rolling window (older data automatically purged)

Live Team Tracking location

Latest position only; cleared when you stop sharing; not retained as history

Emergency notification logs

7 years (for liability and audit purposes)

Ground truth reports

Retained as de-identified model training data

De-identified and aggregated data

Retained indefinitely; no longer identifies you

Survey responses

5 years (for product analysis)

Support communications

3 years from last interaction

Crash logs and analytics

1 year

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You can request earlier deletion of your data at any time (see Section 7).

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6. SECURITY

We implement industry-standard administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These safeguards include:

Encryption in transit: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher
Encryption at rest: Sensitive data (authentication tokens, account credentials) is encrypted using industry-standard methods
Access controls: Only authorized Apex personnel with a documented need can access user data
Token storage: Authentication tokens are stored in the iOS Keychain on your device, protected by Apple's hardware-level security
Regular security review: Our backend systems undergo regular security assessment

If a breach of your personal information occurs, we will notify affected users as required by applicable law, including the Mississippi data-breach notification requirements.

No system is completely secure. While we use reasonable measures to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential and for the security of the device on which you use the Services.

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7. YOUR RIGHTS AND CHOICES

We offer the following rights and choices to all users, regardless of where you live:

Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
Deletion: Delete your account and associated personal information directly in the app (Settings → Account → Delete Account), or request deletion by email (subject to legal retention requirements)
Export: Request a machine-readable copy of your data (data portability)
Opt out of data sale/sharing: Turn off contribution of your data to the de-identified and aggregated data sets we share with or sell to third parties, while continuing to use the Services (see Section 4.5)
Opt out of communications: Unsubscribe from non-essential emails (operational and emergency-related communications cannot be opted out of without canceling your account); reply STOP to opt out of SMS
Withdraw consent: Where we rely on consent to process your data, you can withdraw it at any time

To delete your account, use Settings → Account → Delete Account in the app. To exercise any other right, use the in-app privacy settings or email privacy@apexarsystems.com. We will respond within the time required by applicable law (generally within 45 days). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request, and we will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

7.1 State Privacy Rights (California and Other States)

Depending on your state of residence, you may have additional rights under state privacy laws (for example, in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and other states with comprehensive privacy laws). These may include the right to know/access, the right to delete, the right to correct, the right to data portability, the right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information and targeted advertising, and rights regarding sensitive personal information (including precise geolocation).

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Regarding "sale" of data: We do not sell data that identifies you. We do sell de-identified and aggregated data as described in Section 4.5, and you may opt out of contributing to it. Where your state law gives you a right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information, you may exercise it through the in-app privacy settings or by emailing privacy@apexarsystems.com.

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We do not use or disclose sensitive personal information, including precise geolocation, for purposes other than providing the Services and the uses described in this Policy.

7.2 Mississippi and Federal Note

Mississippi has not enacted a comprehensive consumer data privacy law as of the Last Updated date; Mississippi law does include data-breach notification and consumer-protection requirements, with which we comply. There is no comprehensive federal privacy law; we comply with applicable federal requirements, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and CAN-SPAM Act for communications. We extend the rights described above to our users generally.

7.3 EEA / UK Residents

Apex Scout is offered only in the United States. If international availability is announced in the future, this Policy will be updated with the corresponding rights under applicable law (such as the GDPR).

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8. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

The Services are not intended for and not directed to anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a person under 18, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe a minor has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@apexarsystems.com.

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9. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

The Services are operated from the United States. If you access the Services from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States. By using the Services, you consent to this transfer.

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10. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will:

Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
Notify you in-app for material changes
Email you for material changes affecting your account
Maintain a version history at apexarsystems.com/privacy/history

Your continued use of the Services after any change constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the changes, you must stop using the Services and may request deletion of your account.

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11. CONTACT US

For questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information:

Email: privacy@apexarsystems.com Mail: Apex AR Systems, LLC, PO Box 27, 401 McElroy Drive, Oxford, MS 38655, USA Support: support@apexarsystems.com

For urgent issues regarding emergency notification features, contact support@apexarsystems.com with the subject line "URGENT — Emergency Feature."

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12. PATENT NOTICE

The Apex Scout platform is protected by U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/976,896 — Patent Pending.

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