GriotMate Privacy Policy

Last updated: 1 July 2026 · Developer: Marc Beale (Groupmate Technologies CIC)

GriotMate is a communication app designed for people in low-network regions to send messages, voice notes, photos, and video to family and friends. This policy explains what data GriotMate collects, why, and what we do with it.

What data GriotMate collects

GriotMate collects the minimum data needed to deliver messages between you and your contacts. Specifically:

• Phone number. Used as your unique GriotMate identifier. Required to route messages and calls to you.
• Your contacts' phone numbers (only the ones you choose to add to GriotMate). Required to send them messages.
• Profile photo (optional). If you choose to add one, it is shown to your contacts so they can recognise you.
• Display name (the name your contacts see).
• Message content — text messages, voice notes, photos, videos, and files you send to your contacts. Held only long enough to deliver to the recipient (then deleted from our servers).
• Device push token (Google FCM). Required so we can wake your phone when someone sends you a message or call.
• Approximate network quality information (signal level, which carrier, latency to our servers). Used to choose the right way to deliver each message — for example, automatically switching from video to voice when your network is weak.
• Optional: SMS fallback. If your data connection fails, GriotMate can send your message as an SMS via your phone's SIM card. This ONLY happens when you tap "Send as SMS" on the explicit confirmation page — never automatically. GriotMate never reads incoming SMS messages that are not part of GriotMate's own delivery system.

What data GriotMate does NOT collect

• GriotMate does not access your phone's photo library beyond photos you explicitly choose to send.
• GriotMate does not access your full contacts list. Only the contacts you deliberately add to GriotMate are known to the app.
• GriotMate does not track your location.
• GriotMate does not show advertising and does not share data with advertisers.
• GriotMate does not sell your data to anyone.

How data is stored and protected

GriotMate uses Cloudflare's infrastructure (D1 database, R2 storage, Workers) for message routing and storage. Data is encrypted in transit over HTTPS. Messages older than 30 days are automatically deleted from our servers; only the recipient's local copy on their phone is retained beyond that.

GriotMate supports end-to-end encryption for message content where both sender and recipient are on the latest GriotMate version. Where end-to-end encryption is active, the message content cannot be read by us or by anyone intercepting the connection.

Money transfer features (Empower / remittance)

If you use GriotMate's money-transfer features (Empower, remittance comparison), the app may share the corridor, amount, and provider you selected with the chosen remittance partner (e.g. Wise, Remitly, WorldRemit) so they can quote or complete the transfer. GriotMate itself does not handle your money — your chosen provider does, under their own privacy policy. You always confirm each transfer explicitly before it is sent.

Deleting your GriotMate account and your data

You may request deletion of your GriotMate account and all data GriotMate holds about you at any time. GriotMate is operated by Marc Beale (Groupmate Technologies CIC); deletion requests are handled personally.

How to request deletion

1. Send an email to mbeale@groupmatetechnologies.com.
2. Use the subject line GriotMate account deletion.
3. In the body, include the phone number you registered GriotMate with, so we can verify ownership and locate your account.
4. You will receive an email confirmation within 7 days. Your account and the data listed below will be deleted within 30 days of the confirmation.

What is deleted

• Your GriotMate account record — phone number, display name, profile photo.
• Your GriotMate contacts list (the contacts you added inside the app).
• Any messages, voice notes, photos, videos, or files held on our servers awaiting delivery.
• Your device push token (Firebase Cloud Messaging).
• Stored network-quality measurements associated with your account.

What is retained, and for how long

• Anonymised diagnostic logs — no phone number, no personal data. Retained for up to 90 days for service-health monitoring and abuse detection, then permanently deleted.
• Encrypted database backups — our backups roll over on a 14-day cycle, so deleted data may persist in encrypted backup form for up to 14 days after the live record is deleted. Backups are not used for any purpose other than disaster recovery.
• Legal hold records — if GriotMate has been served with a valid law-enforcement preservation order relating to your account, we are required to retain those specific records until released.

What GriotMate cannot delete

• Messages your contacts have already received are stored on their devices, not on our servers. We cannot remove copies from other people's phones — you would need to ask the recipient.
• SMS messages sent via your phone carrier (when you used the "Send as SMS" fallback) are stored by your mobile network operator, not by GriotMate. We cannot delete those; your carrier sets its own retention policy.

Other data rights

You may also request a copy of all data GriotMate holds about you. Email mbeale@groupmatetechnologies.com with the subject GriotMate data export and the phone number you registered with. We will respond within 30 days.

Children

GriotMate is intended for users aged 13 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 13, please contact us at the email below.

Changes to this policy

We will post any material changes to this policy on this page and update the "Last updated" date at the top. Substantial changes will also be communicated within the app.

Contact

For privacy questions or data requests, contact:

Marc Beale (Groupmate Technologies CIC)
mbeale@groupmatetechnologies.com