Privacy Policy

Contents

Who we are
Summary
Location data
App permissions
Data we collect
How we use data
Who we share data with
Storage and security
How long we keep data
Your rights and choices
Deleting your account
Children
Changes to this policy
Contact and grievance officer

1. Who we are

RiderSaathi (Android package com.ridersaathi.www) is a mobile app for two-wheeler riders that offers crash alerts, service advice and a rider assistant. It is built and operated by Blockstash Intelligence Pvt. Ltd., India ("Blockstash", "we", "us"). Blockstash is the Data Fiduciary for your personal data under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act).

This policy applies to the RiderSaathi Android app, the RiderSaathi WhatsApp assistant and the website ridersaathi.com. By using the app you agree to this policy. Where we rely on your consent, we ask for it in the app before collecting the data, and you can withdraw it at any time.

2. Summary

We access your location, including in the background, to detect rides, detect possible crashes and send your location to your emergency contacts if you may be hurt.
Raw sensor readings and full GPS traces stay on your phone. We upload ride summaries, and your exact location only when a crash alert is sent.
We do not sell your personal data, and we do not use your location for advertising.
Your data is stored in India, encrypted in transit and at rest.
You can request deletion of your account and data at any time. See Delete your account.

3. Location data

Location is central to RiderSaathi's safety features, so we explain it separately and in detail.

What we collect

Precise location (GPS, ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION) and approximate location (ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION).
Background location (ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION): location while the app is closed or not in use, but only while a ride is detected.
Location-derived values: speed, distance travelled, stop-and-go share and route roughness.

Why we collect it

Crash detection: a sudden drop in speed, together with a sharp impact on the phone's motion sensors, is how the app recognises a possible fall.
Emergency alerts: if you don't tap "I'm OK" within the countdown, or you tap "Send help now", your current location is sent to your emergency contacts by SMS and WhatsApp, with a live location link that works for up to 60 minutes.
Ride detection and service advice: distance and riding conditions (city traffic, rough roads, hard braking) are used to estimate wear on parts like brakes, oil and tyres, and to predict when your service is due.
Nearby service centres: to suggest authorised service centres close to you when you book a service.

Why background location is needed

Crashes happen while you are riding, not while you are looking at the app. RiderSaathi starts watching automatically when your phone detects you are in a moving vehicle, so you don't have to open the app before each ride. Without background location, the app cannot detect a crash or share your location with your family when you cannot reach your phone.

While a ride is being tracked, Android shows a persistent notification ("RiderSaathi is watching your ride"). High-rate location sampling runs only during a detected ride and stops when the ride ends or if the trip is identified as not being on a two-wheeler (for example, a car or bus).

What leaves your phone

Ride summaries (start and end time, distance, share of city riding, stops per km, hard-brake count, road roughness, maximum speed). Your full GPS route is not uploaded by default.
Crash alerts: your location at the time of the alert and live location for up to 60 minutes afterwards, sent to our servers and to your emergency contacts only.
For service-centre suggestions, an approximate location or the city/area you choose.

What we never do with location

We do not sell location data or share it with advertisers or data brokers.
We do not include raw location in analytics or crash reports.
Dealers and manufacturers only ever see anonymised, area-level totals (for example, "service demand in a district"), never an individual rider's location or trips.

How to turn it off

You can change location access at any time in Android Settings → Apps → RiderSaathi → Permissions → Location. Choosing "Allow only while using the app" or "Don't allow" turns off automatic ride detection and crash alerts; other features keep working.

4. App permissions

This is every Android permission the RiderSaathi app requests, what it is used for, and whether you can refuse it. Permissions marked "asked at runtime" show an Android prompt; you can change them later in Android Settings.

Permission	What we use it for	If you refuse
Precise location `ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION` Asked at runtime	GPS speed and position during rides, for crash detection, emergency location sharing and distance-based service advice.	Crash alerts and ride tracking will not work.
Approximate location `ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION` Asked at runtime	Network-based location when GPS is weak, and suggesting nearby service centres.	Reduced accuracy; you can enter your city manually.
Background location `ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION` Asked at runtime ("Allow all the time")	Detecting rides and crashes while the app is closed, and sharing your location with emergency contacts if you may be hurt. Used only during a detected ride.	Crash alerts work only while the app is open on screen.
Physical activity `ACTIVITY_RECOGNITION` Asked at runtime	Noticing when you start and stop travelling in a vehicle, so ride tracking starts and stops on its own and saves battery.	You must start each ride manually.
Notifications `POST_NOTIFICATIONS` Asked at runtime	The "Are you OK?" crash alert, the ride-in-progress notification, service reminders and booking updates.	You may miss crash countdowns and reminders.
Full-screen alerts `USE_FULL_SCREEN_INTENT`	Showing the "Are you OK?" countdown over the lock screen after a possible crash, like an alarm, so you can cancel a false alert quickly.	A high-priority notification with an alarm sound is shown instead.
Foreground service (location) `FOREGROUND_SERVICE`, `FOREGROUND_SERVICE_LOCATION`	Keeping ride and crash monitoring running reliably during a ride, with a visible notification.	Required for ride monitoring; not a separate prompt.
Run at startup `RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED`	Re-enabling automatic ride detection after your phone restarts. It does not start location tracking by itself.	Not a separate prompt.
Vibration `VIBRATE`	Vibrating the phone during the crash countdown so you notice it.	Not a separate prompt.
Internet and network state `INTERNET`, `ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE`	Sending alerts, syncing ride summaries, using the assistant, and queuing alerts to retry when you have no signal.	Not a separate prompt.
Motion sensors Accelerometer and gyroscope (no permission prompt)	Detecting impacts, falls and the phone tumbling, and telling a two-wheeler ride apart from a car or bus. Readings are processed on your phone and are not uploaded.	—
Camera / photos Only when you choose to use it	Taking or choosing a photo of a warning light or dashboard so the assistant can explain it.	You can type your question instead.

The app does not request permission to read or send SMS, read your call log, or read your phone's contacts list. Crash alerts are sent from our servers, not from your phone. Emergency contacts are only the names and numbers you type in or choose.

5. Data we collect

Data you give us

Account: mobile number (verified by a one-time password), preferred language and name.
Vehicle: model, registration number, purchase year, odometer reading and service history you enter.
Emergency contacts: up to three names, phone numbers and relationships. Please tell your contacts that you have added them.
Assistant: questions you type or send on WhatsApp, and photos of warning lights or dashboards you share.
Service bookings: chosen dealer, date and time, and any notes.
Consent choices: which permissions and optional data sharing you agreed to, and when.

Data collected automatically

Location data, as described in section 3.
Motion and activity data: accelerometer, gyroscope and activity-recognition signals, processed on your phone.
Ride summaries and crash events (time, location, impact strength, speed before and after, and whether you cancelled the alert).
Device and app data: device model, Android version, app version, a push-notification token, crash logs and app performance data. These do not include your location.

6. How we use data

To detect possible crashes and alert your emergency contacts.
To detect rides and estimate wear and service needs for your vehicle.
To answer your questions in your language through the in-app assistant and WhatsApp.
To book services with authorised dealers when you ask us to.
To send service reminders and booking updates.
To secure your account, prevent misuse, and fix bugs.
To improve crash-detection accuracy and reduce false alarms, using de-identified crash and ride summaries.
To produce anonymised, area-level statistics (for example, service demand by district) for dealers and manufacturers. These never identify you.
To meet legal obligations.

We share personal data only as needed to run RiderSaathi:

Your emergency contacts: your name, location and live location link, only when a crash alert is sent.
Authorised service dealers: your name, phone number, vehicle details and booking details, only when you book a service, or if you opt in to share service reminders with your dealer.
Service providers who process data on our behalf under contract: cloud hosting (Amazon Web Services, Mumbai region), Google Firebase (push notifications, login verification and crash reporting), SMS gateway and WhatsApp Business Platform providers (for OTPs and alerts), and an AI model provider that processes assistant questions and photos through our servers to generate answers.
Authorities, if required by law, or to protect someone's life or safety.

We do not sell your personal data. We do not share it for advertising. Anonymised, aggregated statistics shared with dealers or manufacturers cannot be used to identify you.

8. Storage and security

Our servers are hosted in India (AWS Mumbai region).
Data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest. Access is restricted and logged.
Blockstash operates under ISO 27001 information security controls.
Raw sensor data and full GPS routes are kept on your phone, and app backups to cloud storage are turned off for RiderSaathi data.

No system is completely secure. If a personal data breach affects you, we will inform you and the Data Protection Board of India as required by law.

9. How long we keep data

Account, vehicle and emergency contacts: while your account is active.
Ride summaries and crash events: while your account is active, or until you delete them.
Live location shared during an alert: the live link stops after 60 minutes.
Assistant conversations: up to 12 months. Photos are not kept after the answer is generated unless you consent to their use for quality review.
On your phone: raw sensor data and GPS routes are kept on the device and removed when you uninstall the app or clear its data.

When you delete your account, we delete or anonymise your personal data within 30 days, except records we must keep by law (such as billing or legal records), which we keep only for the required period.

10. Your rights and choices

Under the DPDP Act and other applicable law, you can:

Access a summary of your personal data and how it is processed.
Correct or update inaccurate data (most details can be edited in the app).
Withdraw consent at any time, for example by turning off location or activity permissions in Android Settings.
Ask us to delete your personal data and account.
Nominate another person to exercise your rights in case of death or incapacity.
Raise a grievance with us, and if unresolved, with the Data Protection Board of India.

To use any of these rights, email us at contact@blockstash.in from or mentioning your registered mobile number. We respond within 30 days.

11. Deleting your account

You can ask us to delete your RiderSaathi account and associated data at any time. See Delete your RiderSaathi account for the steps, what we delete and what we keep.

12. Children

RiderSaathi is meant for licensed riders aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app changes. We will change the "Last updated" date above and, for significant changes, notify you in the app before they take effect.

14. Contact and grievance officer

Blockstash Intelligence Pvt. Ltd.
Grievance Officer, RiderSaathi
Email: contact@blockstash.in
Website: ridersaathi.com

We acknowledge grievances within 48 hours and aim to resolve them within 30 days.