Privacy Policy

At Global SAR Hub, we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of our visitors' and customers' data. This privacy policy outlines the types of information we collect on our website, www.globalsarhub.com, and how we use and protect this information.

Information Collection

We collect personal information when you interact with our site, especially when you:

• Subscribe to our newsletter.
• Submit a request through our contact form.
• Participate in our surveys or promotions.

The types of information collected may include your name, email address, telephone number, and other information relevant to the service or inquiry.

Use of Information

The information we collect is used to:

• Enhance the quality of our services and provide you with a personalized experience.
• Communicate with you, respond to your requests, and send you important information regarding our site.
• Conduct statistical analyses to understand how our users interact with our site.

Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties without your explicit consent, except in the following cases:

• Third-party service providers who work with us to administer and provide the site.
• Compliance with applicable law or requests from legal authorities.

Data Security

Global SAR Hub takes the security of your data seriously. We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

Your Rights

You have the right to request access, correction, deletion, or restriction of the use of your personal information that we hold. If you wish to exercise these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided on our site.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activity on our site to improve and analyze our service. You can control the use of cookies through your browser settings.

Changes to the Privacy Policy

We may modify this privacy policy from time to time. If we make changes, we will notify you via our website or by email, depending on what we deem appropriate.

CH16 Mobile Application

This section applies specifically to the CH16 by Global SAR Hub mobile application, available on the Apple App Store. CH16 is a maritime safety companion app published by Global SAR Hub SAS.

Data We Collect in CH16

CH16 is designed to minimize personal data collection. The data handled by the app falls into the following categories:

• Location data (GPS): CH16 reads your device's GPS position to display your location on the map, identify the Search and Rescue Region (SRR) you are currently in, generate distress messages with your coordinates, and power the Man Overboard (MOB) feature. Location data is processed entirely on your device and is never transmitted to our servers, except as part of a Passage Plan you explicitly submit (see below).
• Vessel and captain profile: Information you optionally enter (vessel name, MMSI, length, captain name, contact details, certificates, equipment) is stored locally on your device only. We do not have access to it.
• Apple ID identifier (Sign in with Apple): When you submit a Passage Plan, you are required to sign in with Apple anonymously. We receive a hashed (SHA-256) version of your Apple user identifier — we never see your name or your Apple email. This hash is used solely to enforce a fair-use quota of 2 Passage Plan submissions per 24 hours per user.
• Passage Plan data: When you choose to submit a Passage Plan, the route, voyage details, vessel information, captain contact, crew list, and emergency contact you have entered are sent to our server (passageplan@globalsarhub.com) and forwarded by email to the Rescue Coordination Centers (RCCs) whose Search and Rescue Regions you will cross. A copy is also sent to the captain's email address you provided, as a receipt. The submission is logged on our server (timestamp, hashed user ID, IP address, captain email, vessel name, route distance, number of recipients) for audit and abuse-prevention purposes. We retain these logs for a maximum of 12 months.
• Microphone (optional): If you choose to record an audio version of your vessel name, the recording is stored locally on your device only and never uploaded.
• Subscription data: In-app purchases are processed by Apple. We use RevenueCat as a subscription management provider, which receives an anonymous identifier from Apple. We do not receive your payment details.
• Advertising (free users only): Free users see banner and interstitial ads served by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect device identifiers in accordance with Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework — you will be asked for your consent the first time the app launches. Pro subscribers see no ads.
• Analytics: CH16 does not currently embed any third-party analytics SDK.

How Your Data Is Used

The data described above is used exclusively to:

• Provide the maritime safety features of the app (map, distress messages, MOB, Passage Plan).
• Notify the relevant Rescue Coordination Centers when you submit a Passage Plan.
• Enforce fair-use limits and prevent abuse of our Passage Plan delivery service.
• Process subscription payments via Apple and RevenueCat.

We do not sell your data, do not use it for advertising profiling beyond what Google AdMob does on its own (free users only, with your consent), and do not share it with any third party other than the RCCs you yourself choose to notify via Passage Plan.

Offline-First Design

CH16 is designed to work offline. The directory of Rescue Coordination Centers and the SRR zone polygons are bundled inside the app — no server query is needed to display them. The only network calls the app makes are: (1) loading the OpenFreeMap base map tiles, (2) submitting a Passage Plan to our server when you explicitly choose to do so, (3) authenticating with Apple, (4) processing subscriptions via RevenueCat, and (5) loading ads from Google AdMob (free users only).

Your Rights (CH16 Users)

You can at any time:

• Delete all locally-stored data by uninstalling the app.
• Sign out from Apple Sign In via the iOS Settings > Apple ID > Sign-In with Apple > CH16 menu.
• Request deletion of your Passage Plan submission logs by contacting us at contact@globalsarhub.com with your hashed user identifier or the captain email used at submission time.
• Manage your subscription and request a refund directly through your Apple ID account settings.

Children's Privacy

CH16 is intended for adult mariners and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

Data Controller

The data controller for CH16 is Global SAR Hub SAS, France. Contact: contact@globalsarhub.com.

Contact Us

For any questions or concerns regarding your privacy, please contact us through the contact page or by email at contact@globalsarhub.com.