SAFEONLINE WOMEN KENYA (SOW-KENYA)
SAFEHER MOBILE APPLICATION
USER PRIVACY POLICY
Version 1.0 | February 2026 | www.safeherkenya.org
App
SafeHer Mobile Application
Operated by
SafeOnline Women Kenya (SOW-Kenya)
Developer
Apprentice Cloud
Platform
Android (Google Play Store)
Website
Contact
olivia@sow-kenya.org | +254 714 797 413
Effective Date
10 Aug, 2026
Next Review
February 2027
IN PLAIN LANGUAGE: WHAT THIS POLICY MEANS FOR YOU
SafeHer is built to protect you. We only collect information that helps us keep you safe. We never sell your data, never share it without your permission, and never use it for advertising. You are in control of your information at all times. You can ask us to delete your data at any time. If you have any questions, contact us at olivia@sow-kenya.org.
1. Who We Are
SafeHer is a mobile application operated by SafeOnline Women Kenya (SOW-Kenya), a technology organization dedicated to protecting women and girls from technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-GBV) in Kenya and across Africa. SafeHer connects women and girls who have experienced online harm, including cyberstalking, image-based abuse, online harassment, and doxxing, with emergency support, legal referrals, psychosocial services, digital safety resources, and case management.
The SafeHer app was developed by Apprentice Cloud and is operated by SOW-Kenya. SOW-Kenya is the data controller for all personal information collected through the app. This means SOW-Kenya is responsible for how your information is collected, stored, used, and protected.
Our registered address is WestPark Towers, Mpesi Lane Westlands, Floor 12, Nairobi, Kenya.
2. Our Commitment to Your Privacy
Your safety and privacy are the foundation of everything SafeHer does. We understand that you may be sharing deeply personal information with us, including details of abuse you have experienced. We treat this information with the highest level of care, confidentiality, and respect.
SOW-Kenya commits to the following:
We will never sell your personal data to any third party
We will never use your data for advertising or marketing purposes
We will only collect information that is necessary to provide you with support
We will always ask for your consent before sharing your information with anyone
We will protect your data using industry-standard security measures, including encryption of all data in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and secure server architecture
We will comply with Kenya's Data Protection Act 2019 and applicable international standards
You can ask us to delete your data at any time
3. What Information We Collect
SafeHer collects the following types of information:
3.1 Information You Provide Directly
Incident reports: details of online harm you have experienced, submitted through the app
Account information: if you choose to create an account, your preferred username and contact details
Support requests: information you share when requesting legal, psychosocial, or other support through the app
Legal evidence: documents, screenshots, or other files you choose to upload to secure encrypted storage for potential legal proceedings
Safety assessment responses: answers to the personalized safety assessment tool
Feedback: responses to surveys or feedback requests
3.2 Information Collected Automatically
Device information: device type, operating system version, and app version, used to maintain app functionality
Usage data: how you use the app, including which features you access, used to improve app performance
Log data: technical logs used for security monitoring and error diagnosis
3.3 Information We Do Not Collect
We do not collect your real name unless you choose to provide it
We do not collect your precise location unless you explicitly share it as part of an incident report
We do not collect data from your other apps or phone activity
We do not collect biometric data except where you choose to enable biometric authentication such as fingerprint or face recognition for app access
ANONYMOUS USE
You can use SafeHer anonymously. You do not need to provide your real name or contact details to report an incident or access support resources. Anonymous reports are treated with the same seriousness as identified reports.
4. How We Use Your Information
SOW-Kenya uses the information collected through SafeHer only for the following purposes:
Providing support: connecting you with legal, psychosocial, and emergency support services based on the incident you have reported
Safety planning: generating personalized safety recommendations based on your risk profile
Case management: enabling SafeHer Guardians (trained volunteer responders) to support your case
Legal evidence preservation: securely storing documents and evidence you upload for potential legal proceedings
App improvement: using anonymized and aggregated usage data to improve SafeHer's features and performance
Research: generating anonymized statistics and research insights about TF-GBV trends in Kenya, which are never traceable to individual users
Compliance: meeting our legal obligations under Kenyan law and donor reporting requirements using only anonymized data
We will never use your personal information for any purpose not listed above without asking for your explicit consent first.
5. Your Consent
Before collecting your personal information, SafeHer will always ask for your consent in clear, plain language. Consent means you have been given a clear explanation of what information is being collected, why it is being collected, how it will be used, and who it may be shared with.
Your consent is voluntary. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at olivia@sow-kenya.org. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdrew consent, and it will not affect your ability to access SafeHer's general safety resources.
If you are under 18 years of age, we will take additional steps to ensure your protection, including applying enhanced safeguarding measures to your case.
6. Who We Share Your Information With
SOW-Kenya will only share your personal information in the following circumstances:
6.1 With Your Consent
We may share your information with legal professionals, mental health practitioners, partner organizations, or law enforcement at your request and with your explicit consent. We will always explain who we are sharing your information with and why before you consent.
6.2 SafeHer Guardians
SafeHer Guardians are trained volunteer responders who support users through the app. Guardians have access only to the information relevant to your specific case. All Guardians have signed SOW-Kenya's Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policy and are bound by strict confidentiality obligations.
6.3 Apprentice Cloud
Apprentice Cloud, as the technical developer and manager of the SafeHer app, has limited access to user data strictly for the purpose of maintaining app security, functionality, and performance. Apprentice Cloud is bound by a Data Processing Agreement with SOW-Kenya and may not use your data for any other purpose.
6.4 Legal Obligation
In rare circumstances, we may be required by Kenyan law to disclose information, for example if ordered to do so by a court. If this happens, we will inform you as soon as it is legally permitted to do so.
6.5 Emergency Safety
If we have serious reason to believe that your life or the life of another person is in immediate danger, we may share information with emergency services without your prior consent. We will inform you as soon as possible if this happens.
WE WILL NEVER:
Sell your data. Share your data with advertisers or commercial companies. Share your data with government authorities without a legal obligation or your consent. Share your data with anyone not listed in this policy without asking you first.
7. How We Protect Your Information
SOW-Kenya and Apprentice Cloud apply the following security measures to protect your information:
HTTPS (TLS) encryption for all communications between the app and our servers
Secure hosting on a dedicated, access-restricted server located in Germany, with database access restricted to internal connections only
Secure encrypted backups of all legal evidence documents you upload
Multi-factor authentication for all SafeHer administrative accounts
Role-based access controls ensuring only authorized personnel can access your data
Web Application Firewall and DDoS protection
Regular third-party security audits and penetration testing
Automated security monitoring and alerting
A responsible disclosure program encouraging security researchers to report vulnerabilities
No system is completely immune to security risks. If you have concerns about the security of your data, please contact us at olivia@sow-kenya.org.
8. How Long We Keep Your Information
We keep your personal information only for as long as is necessary to provide you with support and meet our legal and donor compliance obligations. The following retention periods apply:
Incident reports and case records: retained for a maximum of 5 years from the date of the last activity on the case, after which they are deleted by SOW-Kenya staff in accordance with this policy
Legal evidence documents you upload: retained for as long as you wish, or until you request deletion. We will notify you before deleting evidence documents.
Account information: retained for as long as your account is active. You can delete your account at any time.
Anonymized usage and research data: retained indefinitely as it cannot be traced to individual users
You can request deletion of your personal data at any time. See Section 9 for how to do this.
9. Your Rights
Under Kenya's Data Protection Act 2019, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:
9.1 Right to Access
You have the right to request a copy of all personal information we hold about you. We will respond to your request within 21 days.
9.2 Right to Correction
You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete information we hold about you.
9.3 Right to Deletion
You have the right to request that we delete your personal information. We will comply unless we are legally required to retain it. We will inform you of the outcome of your request within 21 days.
9.4 Right to Withdraw Consent
You have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal information at any time. This will not affect any processing already carried out with your consent.
9.5 Right to Data Portability
You have the right to request a copy of your personal information in a portable format so that you can transfer it to another service. This is currently processed manually by SOW-Kenya staff rather than through an automated export feature.
9.6 Right to Object
You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
9.7 Right to Lodge a Complaint
If you believe SOW-Kenya has not handled your personal information in accordance with this policy or Kenya's Data Protection Act, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner of Kenya at www.odpc.go.ke.
HOW TO EXERCISE YOUR RIGHTS
To exercise any of your rights, contact us at olivia@sow-kenya.org or +254 714 797 413. You do not need to give a reason for your request. We will respond within 21 days.
10. Children and Young People
SafeHer can be used by people of all ages, including young people under the age of 18. If you are under 18, we take additional steps to protect you:
Your case will be subject to enhanced safeguarding procedures under SOW-Kenya's Safeguarding Policy
Where your safety requires it, our Designated Safeguarding Lead may need to involve appropriate support services
We will always try to act in your best interests and involve you in decisions about your case
We will not share your information with your family members or guardians without your consent, except where your safety requires it
If you are a parent or guardian and have concerns about a young person's use of SafeHer, please contact us at olivia@sow-kenya.org.
11. Social Media Monitoring
With your consent, authorized SOW-Kenya personnel and trained Guardians may manually monitor specified social media platforms for content targeting you, such as harassment campaigns or non-consensual sharing of intimate images, based on publicly available information and the context you provide. This monitoring is conducted manually and only on content that is publicly visible on those platforms. SafeHer does not currently use automated scraping, API-based monitoring, or algorithmic threat detection.
We will always ask for your explicit consent before commencing any social media monitoring related to your case. You can withdraw this consent at any time.
12. Third-Party Links and Services
SafeHer may connect you with third-party services, including legal professionals, mental health practitioners, and partner organizations. When you access these services, you will be subject to their own privacy policies. SOW-Kenya is not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any service you access through SafeHer.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our data practices, legal requirements, or app features. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the app and on the SafeHer website before the changes take effect. The effective date at the top of this policy will always reflect when it was last updated.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of SafeHer after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
14. How to Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact us:
Organization
SafeOnline Women Kenya (SOW-Kenya)
Phone
+254 714 797 413 / +44 7470 592096
Address
WestPark Towers, Mpesi Lane Westlands, Floor 12, Nairobi, Kenya
Website
Data Protection Complaints
Office of the Data Protection Commissioner: www.odpc.go.ke
We are committed to resolving any concerns promptly and transparently. You will receive a response within 21 days of contacting us.
DOCUMENT CONTROL
This Privacy Policy is a user-facing document published on the SafeHer website and displayed within the SafeHer mobile application. It is reviewed annually by the Executive Director and updated whenever data practices or applicable laws change. The next review date is February 2027.
This Privacy Policy must be read alongside the SOW-Kenya SafeHer Mobile Application Development and Operations Policy (internal governance document).