Privacy Policy for Sober Side Up Apps

Local-first personal data

The apps may allow users to enter a name or nickname, clean date, journal entries, Recovery Journey events, milestones, photos, saved resources, and user-added resources. Sober Side Up Plus may also store assessment answers and scores, daily tasks, burden progress, check-ins, calendar items, lesson responses, tool work, achievements, and other recovery progress selected or entered by the user.

This information is stored locally on the user's device and is not automatically uploaded to a Sober Side Up developer server. The apps require no Sober Side Up account and include no advertising, third-party analytics tracking, or artificial-intelligence service.

Photos and camera

Camera access is requested only when a user chooses to take a profile or Recovery Journey photo. The device photo picker is used when a user chooses an existing image. Selected photos remain part of local app data.

Calendar reminders and notifications

Sober Side Up Plus can schedule local notifications when a user chooses to create a calendar reminder. Calendar details and reminder information are not sent to a Sober Side Up server.

Backups

A backup leaves the device only when the user intentionally exports or shares it. The user controls its destination and is responsible for keeping it secure. Exported backup ZIP files can contain sensitive recovery information and photos. They are portable files and are not password-encrypted by the app. Store them only in a private location you control and share them only with people or services you trust.

Resource actions and third-party services

Call, Email, Website, and Directions actions may open third-party phone, email, browser, or maps apps. Their own privacy policies apply. The Sober Side Up apps do not request precise or approximate device location.

HIPAA clarification

Sober Side Up Journey and Sober Side Up Plus are personal recovery support apps. Sober Side Up is not acting through these apps as a medical provider, counseling provider, insurance company, treatment center, healthcare clearinghouse, or HIPAA-regulated medical record system.

HIPAA does not automatically apply to every health, wellness, or recovery app. HIPAA generally applies to covered entities, such as certain healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses, and to business associates working with them.

The apps store recovery information locally on the user's own device. Sober Side Up does not operate a user-account system for these apps, does not store recovery profiles on a developer server, and cannot access, view, retrieve, or remotely delete journal entries, milestones, photos, assessment answers, or backups stored by the user.

Users control their own information. If a user exports a backup, saves it to cloud storage, sends screenshots, shares a device, or gives a backup file to another person or service, that information is then handled outside the app and may be subject to the recipient's or service provider's privacy and security practices.

For these reasons, Sober Side Up does not represent these apps as HIPAA-regulated medical record systems and does not claim HIPAA compliance. The apps are instead designed to be privacy-first, local-first, and user-controlled.

Retention and deletion

Data remains on the device until the user deletes a profile, clears app data, or uninstalls. Sober Side Up cannot retrieve or remotely delete local app data. Users must separately delete exported backups from every location where they chose to store them.

Children

The apps are not designed to knowingly collect personal information from children. Sober Side Up maintains no remotely stored user profiles through these apps.

Safety and medical disclaimer

The apps provide peer-support organization and recovery information. They are not medical care, therapy, legal advice, or emergency services. Call 911 for immediate danger. In the United States, call or text 988 for suicide, mental health, or substance-use crisis support.

Changes

This policy may be updated as the apps change. The effective date will be revised when updates are published.

Contact

Email sobersideup1@gmail.com.