Pack Shield: Recovery Buddy Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 8, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Pack Shield: Recovery Buddy collects, uses, and protects information for app and SMS features. Pack Shield: Recovery Buddy is operated by ShibaTales. Contact us at support@packshield.app.

Information We Collect

Pack Shield: Recovery Buddy may collect the following information when you use the app or SMS features:

• User phone number and phone verification status.
• Sponsor name, sponsor phone number, sponsor verification status, and Shield approval code setup status.
• SMS consent records, such as consent version, consent timestamp, phone number, and related sponsor invitation status.
• SMS command metadata, such as sender number, recipient number, message direction, delivery status, and timestamps.
• Pack Shield change summaries, such as notices that blocked websites or app selections were added.
• Backend identifiers used to connect an app install with its sponsor setup.
• Email address if you contact support or send a bug report by email.
• Support and diagnostic information needed to operate, secure, and troubleshoot the service.
• Product interaction information, such as feature usage and app activity, used to understand and improve Pack Shield.

How We Use Information

We use information to:

• Verify the user's phone number.
• Invite a trusted sponsor and let that sponsor confirm their role.
• Let a verified sponsor set or update a Shield approval code.
• Send sponsor notices related to Pack Shield changes.
• Send user-requested accountability alerts to opted-in support contacts.
• Respond to SMS commands such as VERIFY, PIN, STATUS, HELP, STOP, and START where supported.
• Respond to support requests and bug reports.
• Review aggregate product usage patterns, improve existing features, and plan future features.
• Maintain safety, security, abuse prevention, compliance, and service reliability.

SMS and Mobile Number Privacy

We do not sell or rent mobile phone numbers. We do not share mobile opt-in data, mobile numbers, or SMS consent records with third parties for their own marketing or promotional purposes. We may share SMS-related information with service providers only as needed to operate Pack Shield, deliver messages, store records, prevent abuse, and comply with law.

Message frequency varies based on user and sponsor actions. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out of SMS messages. Reply HELP for help.

Shield Approval Codes

Shield approval codes are intended to remain confidential. Pack Shield does not store approval codes in plaintext. The backend stores only a salted and peppered verifier used to check future approval attempts.

Purchases

Pack Shield: Recovery Buddy may offer optional digital purchases through Apple's In-App Purchase system. Apple processes App Store payments. Pack Shield: Recovery Buddy does not collect or store payment card numbers, bank account numbers, or other payment credentials.

Service Providers

Pack Shield uses service providers such as Twilio for SMS delivery, Vercel for backend hosting, and Redis-compatible storage for sponsor and verification records. These providers process information on our behalf to provide the service.

Retention

We retain information for as long as needed to operate Pack Shield, maintain sponsor verification and app controls, resolve disputes, enforce terms, prevent abuse, or comply with legal obligations. We may delete or de-identify records when they are no longer needed.

Your Choices

You can reply STOP to opt out of SMS messages from Pack Shield. If you opt out, SMS-based sponsor features may stop working until you opt back in where supported. You may contact us at support@packshield.app for privacy questions or deletion requests.

Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards to protect information. No internet or SMS service can be guaranteed to be fully secure or always available.

Children

Pack Shield: Recovery Buddy is intended for adults 18 and older. It is not intended for children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated date above shows when it was last revised.