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PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated: April 29, 2026

Short version:

VetGuide does not collect, store, or transmit any personal information about you. Your location stays on your phone. There are no accounts, no tracking, no advertising.

1. INTRODUCTION

VetGuide ("the App") is an independent mobile and web application that helps Veterans navigate publicly available resources from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and state Veterans Affairs offices. This Privacy Policy describes how the App handles information.

VetGuide is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Government, or any state government agency.

2. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

VetGuide collects no personal information. Specifically:

3. LOCATION DATA

The App requests permission to access your device's location for one purpose: to identify the nearest VA medical center to your current position.

4. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

The App connects to third-party services for some features. When you use these features, you are interacting directly with those third parties under their own terms and privacy policies:

Battle Buddy Chat (Microsoft Copilot Studio)

The chat feature opens a Microsoft Copilot Studio web chat hosted on Microsoft GovCloud and operated by VA Augusta Healthcare System. Chat content is processed by Microsoft and VA Augusta under their respective privacy policies. VetGuide does not see, store, or relay chat content.

Veterans Crisis Line

The crisis chat and call features connect you directly to the Veterans Crisis Line at veteranscrisisline.net. Communications with the Veterans Crisis Line are governed by their privacy policy.

Map and Location Services

Location services on Android are provided by your operating system (Google Play Services). These services are governed by Google's privacy policy.

State VA Office Links

Tapping a state's "Official VA Site" link opens the state Veterans Affairs office website in your browser. Your interactions with those websites are governed by their respective privacy policies.

5. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

VetGuide is intended for Veterans, service members, and their families. It is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any data from anyone, including children.

6. DATA SECURITY

Because VetGuide does not collect or transmit personal data, there is no user data to secure on our end. All data processing happens on your device. We strongly recommend keeping your device's operating system and the App up to date.

7. UPDATES TO THE APP

VetGuide uses Expo's over-the-air update system to deliver app improvements without requiring a full reinstall. Update payloads contain only application code — no personal data is transmitted as part of the update process. You may opt out of automatic updates by declining the update prompt in the App.

8. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent changes. Material changes will be reflected in the App or on this website.

9. YOUR RIGHTS

Because VetGuide does not collect personal information, there is no user data to access, correct, or delete. If you have questions about this policy, contact us at the email address below.

10. CONTACT

Questions about this Privacy Policy should be directed to:

privacy@example.com
(Replace with your actual contact email after deploying.)

11. NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE VA

VetGuide is an independent application. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or any government agency. All references to the VA, state VA offices, and Veteran benefits are based on publicly available information.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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