HelpNow Privacy Policy
Effective Date: October 1, 2026
Last Updated: October 1, 2026
HelpNow is an emergency-alert and personal-safety application operated by the Canadian Senior Connect Society, a British Columbia non-profit society.
Society Name: Canadian Senior Connect Society
Society Number: NR3994569
Website: helpnowapp.ca
Privacy Contact: luciandvan@gmail.com
1. Our Commitment to Privacy
Canadian Senior Connect Society respects your privacy.
HelpNow is designed with privacy in mind. HelpNow does not maintain a user database containing personal information, and the Society does not sell, rent, or share users' personal information for advertising or marketing purposes.
The application is designed to allow a user to request assistance from people the user chooses, using the information necessary to transmit that alert.
We follow privacy principles consistent with British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). PIPA requires organizations to handle personal information appropriately and to make reasonable security arrangements to protect information under their custody or control.
2. Information HelpNow Does Not Collect
HelpNow does not ask users to provide or maintain a personal profile containing information such as:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Home address
- Medical history
- Medical records
- Government identification
- Social insurance number
- Financial information
- Banking information
- New Vista or housing records
- Information about a person's housing status
- A permanent personal-information profile
The Canadian Senior Connect Society does not receive or access New Vista resident records or resident lists through HelpNow.
The Society does not maintain a centralized database of senior residents or HelpNow users.
3. Location Information
HelpNow may use the device's location only when the user chooses to use a feature that requires location information and provides the applicable device permission.
HelpNow is not designed for continuous location tracking.
The application does not continuously monitor a user's location simply because the application is installed.
When a safety alert is initiated, location information may be processed as necessary to transmit the alert to the user's selected recipient(s).
Users can manage location permissions through their device settings.
4. Emergency and Safety Alerts
HelpNow is designed to assist users in communicating a personal-safety or assistance alert.
An alert may contain information necessary to identify the alert and communicate the user's requested location or other technical information required for delivery.
HelpNow is not a replacement for 911 or emergency services.
If a person is experiencing an immediate emergency requiring police, fire, ambulance, or other emergency assistance, they should contact 911 directly.
5. Temporary Technical Processing
Although HelpNow does not maintain a personal-information user database, technical information may be temporarily processed by the systems used to operate and deliver the application.
Depending on the service being used, technical information may include:
- IP address
- Device or application technical information
- Information required to deliver an alert
- Date and time associated with a request
- Technical logs required for security, troubleshooting, and service operation
Some alert-processing functions use Firebase/Google Cloud services.
Firebase states that its services use HTTPS encryption for data in transit and that services including Cloud Functions encrypt data at rest.
Technical processing should therefore not be interpreted as HelpNow maintaining a permanent personal-information profile of its users.
6. Firebase and Service Providers
HelpNow uses third-party technology services necessary to operate portions of the application.
These services may process technical or service information on behalf of the application.
For example, Firebase may provide services such as Cloud Functions, Cloud Firestore, Firebase Cloud Messaging, and other infrastructure used by the application.
Firebase describes security measures including encryption in transit and, for applicable Firebase services, encryption at rest.
HelpNow does not use these services to sell users' personal information.
7. No Sale of Personal Information
Canadian Senior Connect Society does not sell personal information.
We do not sell, rent, or trade HelpNow users' personal information to advertisers, marketing companies, data brokers, or other organizations for commercial marketing purposes.
8. Advertising
HelpNow does not use personal information to create advertising profiles about users.
If third-party advertising or analytics services are introduced in a future version of HelpNow, this Privacy Policy will be updated before those practices are implemented.
9. Premium Services and Payments
HelpNow may offer paid or premium features.
Where payment is required, payment processing may be handled through the applicable app store or payment provider.
Canadian Senior Connect Society does not need to receive or store a user's full credit-card number, banking password, or similar payment credentials in order for the user to purchase an applicable subscription or premium service through a third-party payment platform.
Payment providers and app stores have their own privacy policies and terms.
10. Children's Privacy
HelpNow is not specifically directed toward children.
The application should be used by individuals who are legally able to use the service and agree to its applicable terms.
We do not knowingly create personal profiles of children.
11. Data Security
We take reasonable measures designed to protect information processed by HelpNow against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, or destruction.
PIPA requires organizations to make reasonable security arrangements to protect personal information in their custody or under their control.
No internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted through the internet or telecommunications networks.
12. Data Retention
HelpNow is designed to minimize the amount of personal information retained.
We do not maintain a permanent personal-information database of HelpNow users.
Technical information may be temporarily retained where necessary for:
- Operating the application
- Delivering alerts
- Preventing abuse or fraud
- Maintaining security
- Troubleshooting technical problems
- Maintaining service reliability
- Meeting applicable legal obligations
Where information is no longer required for these purposes, it should be deleted, anonymized, or otherwise handled in accordance with applicable requirements and service-provider practices.
13. Privacy Rights in British Columbia
Under B.C.'s Personal Information Protection Act, individuals have rights relating to personal information held by an organization, including rights concerning access and correction, subject to the Act's applicable exceptions.
If you believe HelpNow or Canadian Senior Connect Society has personal information about you, or you have a privacy question or complaint, you may contact us using the information below.
14. Privacy Questions and Complaints
Privacy Contact
Canadian Senior Connect Society
Society Number: NR3994569
Email: luciandvan@gmail.com
We will make reasonable efforts to review and respond to privacy questions and complaints.
PIPA requires organizations to develop a process for responding to privacy complaints and to make information about that process available.
If a privacy concern cannot be resolved directly with the Society, an individual may contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia (OIPC BC).
15. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy when HelpNow's features, technology, legal requirements, or privacy practices change.
The latest version will be made available through:
helpnowapp.ca
The Last Updated date at the beginning of this Privacy Policy will indicate when the policy was most recently revised.
16. Important Limitation
HelpNow is a personal-safety communication tool.
It is not a medical service, emergency dispatch service, security monitoring service, or replacement for 911.
Users remain responsible for contacting appropriate emergency services when immediate emergency assistance is required.
Canadian Senior Connect Society
Canadian Senior Connect Society
Society Number: NR3994569
HelpNow is operated as part of the Society's mission to provide accessible communication and safety-support tools, including services intended to help seniors and other members of the community communicate when assistance is needed.
Privacy Contact:
luciandvan@gmail.com
Website:
helpnowapp.ca