Project IntERact Mobile Application

Privacy Policy

This privacy policy governs your use of the Project IntERact software application (“Application”) on a mobile device that was created by The University of Michigan. The application includes daily survey assessments, daily personalized health messages tailored to each individual based on their survey responses, map alerts to identify when a participant has entered a pre-identified unsafe area (defined by the participant), positive one-touch contact with pro-social contacts (e.g., therapist, friend, family member) programmed into their phone, access to resources in Flint, Detroit, and the surrounding areas, a virtual hope box that includes images of their goals, strengths, and calming images, and a personal timeline that includes all messages, memes, and alerts the app sends to the participant over their time in the study.

What information does the Application obtain and how is it used?

Data that is provided directly by a User (“User Provided Information”) will be obtained through the daily survey assessments of the app. The data will then be used to provide participants with daily tailored health messages specific to their health behaviors. This data will also be collected and used in analysis of whether the intervention was effective after the conclusion of recruitment of the study. Data that is collected automatically by the Application (“Automatically Collected Information”) is information including the user’s clicks while using the app, the completion of surveys, landing pages, if a participant enters a pre-identified zone causing an alert, and the amount of money earned by the participant for completing their surveys.

User Provided Information

The Application obtains the information you provide when you download and register the Application. Registration with us is mandatory in order to be able to use the basic features of the Application. When you register with us and use the Application, you generally provide: (a) a user name/access code, and other registration information (e.g., pin number); (b) information you enter into our system when using the Application, such as the phone number for your pro-social contact and therapist, up to 5 map locations identified as unsafe to the participant, daily survey assessment responses, and personal images uploaded to the participant’s hope box.

Automatically Collected Information

In addition, the Application may collect certain information automatically, such as the type of mobile device you use, your mobile devices unique device ID, the IP address of your mobile device, your mobile operating system, and information about the way you use the Application including, but not limited to: the time spent on a specific page or feature of the app, the time it takes to complete the daily survey, the frequency of completing daily surveys, the amount of money earned for completing the daily survey, the number of alerts and time of day associated with the action of entering and exiting a pre-identified zone, the tailored messages received, and survey responses.

Does the Application collect precise real time location information of the device?

This application, while not constantly tracking location, collects data on whether regions were entered. The app does not record the locations of participants unless they enter or exist one of the pre-identified zones causing an alert.

During the initial setup of the app, the participant will voluntarily identify up to 5 high-risk locations (i.e., places/locations that the participant deems is unsafe for them) at their emergency department visit with their therapist health coach. Participants can choose not to allow location services to be enabled on their phone, preventing this feature of the intervention from being utilized by participants. If a participant does enter any number of locations into the GPS notification alert system feature in the app, then when that participant physically enters that pre-identified location, the app will send them an alert message, very close in time to the initial entry into that zone and again it will send an alert about 5 minutes later. We use your location information to provide these requested location services. The alert message will ask the participant if they are safe, if they need any help, and/or if they want to reach out to their therapist or pro-social contact for support as this zone has been pre-identified to them as being unsafe and high-risk.

You may at any time opt-out from further allowing us to have access to your location data by going into your phone’s settings and manually turning off location services for the Project IntERact mobile app. For more information, please see the section below entitled “opt-out rights.”

Do third parties see and/or have access to information obtained by the Application?

Opt-out of all information collection by uninstalling the Application – You can stop all collection of information by the Application easily by uninstalling the Application. You may use the standard uninstall processes as may be available as part of your mobile device or via the mobile application marketplace or network. The participant also has the option to opt-out for location tracking, and wholesale data collection. Participants can also disable app notifications (e.g. Survey reminders, and meme notifications, along with their location notifications) while still keeping the app installed.

Data Retention Policy, Managing Your Information

We will retain User Provided data for as long as you use the Application and for a reasonable time thereafter. If you’d like us to delete User Provided Data that you have provided via the Application, please contact us at um-project-interact@med.umich.edu and we will respond in a reasonable time. Please note that some or all of the User Provided Data may be required in order for the Application to function properly, and we may be required to retain certain information by law.

Children

We do not use the Application to knowingly solicit data from or market to children under the age of 13. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that his or her child has provided us with information without their consent, he or she should contact us at um-project-interact@med.umich.edu and we will respond in a reasonable time. Please note that some or all of the User Provided Data may be required in order for the Application to function properly, and we may be required to retain certain information by law.

Security

We are concerned about safeguarding the confidentiality of your information. We provide physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect information we process and maintain. For example, we limit access to this information to authorized employees and contractors who need to know that information in order to analyze the collected data for a NIH funded study, operate, develop or improve our Application. Please be aware that, although we endeavor to provide reasonable security for information we process and maintain, no security system can prevent all potential security breaches.

Changes

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time for any reason. We will notify you of any changes to our Privacy Policy by posting the new Privacy Policy here. You are advised to consult this Privacy Policy regularly for any changes.

Your Consent

By using the Services, you are consenting to our processing of User Provided and Automatically Collection information as set forth in this Privacy Policy now and as amended by us. "Processing,” means using cookies on a computer/hand held device or using or touching information in any way, including, but not limited to, collecting, storing, deleting, using, combining and disclosing information, all of which activities will take place in the United States. If you reside outside the U.S. your information will be transferred to the U.S., and processed and stored there under U.S. privacy standards. By using the Application and providing information to us, you consent to such transfer to, and processing in, the US.

Contact us

If you have any questions regarding privacy while using the Application, or have questions about our practices, please contact us via email at um-project-interact@med.umich.edu.