Privacy policy

BeSafePlus, BeSafeBasic & BeSafeNEXT

This shared privacy notice explains how personal data may be processed when the apps are used, and when one of the apps forms part of a research project at Aarhus University.

BeSafePlusBeSafeBasicBeSafeNEXT
Last updated: 23 September 2026
Important: This page supplements Aarhus University’s official privacy policy and any participant-information or consent material supplied for a specific research project. If study-specific information differs from this general page, the study-specific information takes precedence for that study.

1. Scope and data controller

This policy covers BeSafePlus, BeSafeBasic and BeSafeNEXT. The three apps may contain different modules or be configured differently in individual deployments. The exact processing therefore depends on the installed version, enabled functions and, where relevant, the research project in which the app is used.

When Aarhus University determines the purposes and means of processing personal data for its own activities, Aarhus University is the data controller. In some collaborations AU may instead act as a data processor on behalf of another controller; in that case the relevant controller’s information and data-processing agreement govern that processing.

BeSafeBasic

Covered by this shared notice. Only the data needed for enabled functions and the relevant study/deployment should be processed.

BeSafePlus

Covered by this shared notice. Device permissions and connected-device functions depend on the installed version and configuration. BeSafePlus can, when enabled and permitted by the user, use foreground and background location for location-enhanced activity/tracking information.

BeSafeNEXT

Covered by this shared notice, including development and research deployments in which additional study modules may be enabled.

2. General GDPR principles

Personal data means information that can identify a person directly or indirectly. Depending on the app and research protocol, this can include ordinary personal data and special-category data such as health information.

The BeSafe apps are intended to follow the GDPR principles of lawfulness, fairness and transparency; purpose limitation; data minimisation; accuracy; storage limitation; integrity and confidentiality; and accountability. Personal data is not collected merely because it may be useful later.

  • No sale of personal data. Personal data is not sold to advertisers or data brokers.
  • No advertising profiling. Research or health-related information is not used to build advertising profiles.
  • Purpose-bound processing. Data is used for the app function, project administration, security, quality assurance and/or research purposes described to the user or participant.
  • Data minimisation. Only data reasonably necessary for the enabled purpose should be processed.

3. Privacy during use of the apps

3.1 Data categories

Depending on the specific BeSafe app, enabled functions and study/deployment, processing may include participant, user or study identifiers; questionnaire or symptom information; activity and step data; health or sensor measurements; device and app diagnostics; timestamps; notification-routing identifiers; network information; and, where enabled, location data. The exact processing for a research study is also described in the participant information for that study.

BeSafePlus has additional continuous activity and location functions. The current BeSafePlus mobile configuration is described below so that the privacy notice reflects the permissions declared by the Android and iOS applications.

3.2 Current BeSafePlus permissions and purposes

Capability / dataiOSAndroidPurpose and handling
Location When-in-use and always/background location; background location mode. Approximate and precise location, background location and location foreground service. Used for location-enhanced activity/tracking information. BeSafePlus can collect location even when the app is closed or not in use when the tracking function is enabled and the user has granted the required permission. Location can include coordinates, accuracy and timestamps and can be associated with the participant/user/device/study identifier used by the deployment.
Movement and steps Motion access; HealthKit capability with background delivery. Physical-activity recognition, accelerometer and step-counter capability; health foreground service. Used to measure activity and step counts and to support continuous activity monitoring. On iOS, the declared HealthKit purpose is to obtain step-count data so BeSafePlus can calculate daily activity and show progress.
HealthKit (iOS) HealthKit read/write capability is declared; the user-facing purpose strings refer specifically to step data. Not applicable. HealthKit-derived step data is used only for the health/activity function and, where applicable, the approved research purpose. It is not used for advertising, marketing, advertising profiling or sale. HealthKit data is not disclosed to third parties except where permitted by Apple, applicable law and the participant/user's permission, including approved medical research where applicable.
Camera Camera permission. Camera permission. Used to scan QR codes or identifiers needed by the app/deployment. The camera is not used for unrelated monitoring. Images are not retained merely because QR scanning is used.
Notifications Apple Push Notification service, including time-sensitive notifications where enabled. Notifications and Firebase Cloud Messaging. Used for reminders, operational/safety messages and other enabled app/study notifications. Apple or Google may process push-routing tokens and technical routing information as part of their notification services under their own terms.
Local network / home gateway Local-network access and Bonjour discovery for _mqtt._tcp. Network/Wi-Fi access where the configured deployment requires local or remote communication. BeSafePlus can connect to a configured home gateway using MQTT. The current iOS permission text states that the phone/device ID and location can be sent to the home gateway while the device is on the home network. Local-gateway data is used only for the configured BeSafe function and relevant operational/research purpose.
Background operation Background fetch, processing, remote notifications and location; scheduled background task. Foreground services, wake lock, boot reception and battery-optimisation handling. These capabilities allow enabled monitoring and communication functions to continue reliably when the app is not visible. They do not by themselves authorise use of data for unrelated purposes.
Bluetooth A Bluetooth usage-description string is currently present in the iOS configuration. No Bluetooth/Nearby Devices permission is present in the Android manifest supplied for this policy. Bluetooth is not described here as a general BeSafePlus data source. If a released build actually requests Bluetooth access, the relevant app screen/study information must explain the connected-device purpose before the permission is requested.

3.3 Background location – prominent disclosure

BeSafePlus collects location data to enable location-enhanced activity and tracking information even when the app is closed or not in use. This occurs only when the relevant tracking function is enabled and the user has granted the required location permission. Location is not used for advertising or advertising profiling.

Depending on the device and the permission selected by the user, the app can receive precise or approximate location. Location may be accessed in the foreground and, where background/“always” access is granted, in the background. On configured deployments, location and a phone/device identifier may also be transmitted over the local network to the configured home gateway, including by MQTT, and may form part of tracking data synchronised with a BeSafe/research service.

You can deny or later revoke location permission in Android or iOS settings. Location-dependent tracking will then be limited or unavailable. The Android application must also present a prominent disclosure in the normal app flow before requesting background-location permission.

3.4 Security and storage

AU applies technical and organisational measures appropriate to the processing risk. Access to BeSafe backend/research data is restricted to authorised persons and systems with an operational or research need. Research datasets are pseudonymised where appropriate and feasible. Remote transfer of personal or sensitive information must use protection appropriate to the configured service, and local-network communication is limited to the configured deployment.

Some information may be stored temporarily on the device for operation, continuity, offline use, reliability or error recovery. Personal, health and location data must not be retained locally longer than necessary for the configured purpose. Platform backup and file-sharing settings must be configured so that sensitive BeSafe data is not unintentionally exposed or retained through general device/cloud backup or user-accessible file sharing.

3.5 Sharing, processors and third-party services

BeSafe personal, health and location data is not sold to advertisers or data brokers and is not used for advertising profiling. Data may be accessible, only as necessary, to authorised AU personnel, the responsible research team, approved collaborators, or service providers/processors supporting the relevant deployment.

Where a third party processes personal data on behalf of AU, appropriate contractual, organisational and technical safeguards are required. Third parties receiving user data must provide protection consistent with applicable data-protection law and, where required by Apple or Google platform rules, protection equivalent to that described in this policy.

Apple and Google may independently process information associated with App Store/Google Play accounts, downloads, operating-system services, push-notification delivery or platform diagnostics under their own privacy terms. Firebase Cloud Messaging is used on Android for push-message delivery; Apple Push Notification service is used on iOS.

3.6 App-store and platform privacy declarations

The Google Play Data Safety form, Google Health apps declaration, sensitive-permissions declarations, foreground-service declarations, Apple App Privacy information and any Apple privacy manifest must be kept consistent with the behaviour of the released binary and with this policy. If an app version changes its data collection, SDKs or permissions, those declarations and this policy must be updated accordingly.

4. Deletion, withdrawal and permission controls

4.1 Device permissions

You can revoke permissions such as location, HealthKit/health access, motion/activity, camera or notifications in Android or iOS settings. Revoking a permission stops future access through that permission, although app functions depending on it may become limited or unavailable.

4.2 Requesting access, correction or deletion

For app- or study-specific requests, contact the responsible study/deployment team using the contact information shown in the app, study invitation or participant-information material. If those details are not available, contact Aarhus University at au@au.dk or AU’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@au.dk. State which BeSafe app and, if relevant, which study/deployment your request concerns.

AU or the relevant data controller will assess requests for access, rectification, restriction or erasure under the GDPR and other applicable law. Where deletion is legally required and no lawful retention obligation or research exemption applies, the relevant personal data will be deleted or irreversibly anonymised. Leaving a study or revoking a device permission does not necessarily require deletion of research data already lawfully collected.

4.3 App accounts

If a particular BeSafe version allows a user to create an app account, that version must provide the account-deletion method required by the applicable platform rules and explain any lawful retention exceptions. Deactivation alone is not treated as deletion where deletion is required.

5. Privacy when the apps are used for research

Use of a BeSafe app in a study does not by itself constitute GDPR consent. The legal basis for a specific research project is decided by the data controller and must be stated in the study-specific participant information.

5.1 Sources of research data

Research data may be collected directly from you through the app, questionnaires, interviews, measurements or observations, and may in some studies be combined with information obtained from other lawful sources such as health systems, public registers, healthcare providers or collaborating institutions. Any such combination must be described in the relevant study information.

5.2 Legal basis used by AU for research

Aarhus University’s research-privacy information states that, depending on the project, ordinary personal data may be processed under GDPR Article 6(1)(e) (task in the public interest) or Article 6(1)(a) (consent). Sensitive personal data may be processed under Article 9(2)(j), together with section 10(1) of the Danish Data Protection Act and Article 6(1)(e), or under Article 9(2)(a) and Article 6(1)(a) when explicit consent is the chosen legal basis.

If a Danish civil registration number (CPR) is processed, AU states that this is done only when necessary for unique identification, in accordance with section 11(1) of the Danish Data Protection Act. Other sector-specific legislation, including health legislation, may also apply.

5.3 Pseudonymisation and access

Research data should be pseudonymised where this can be done without frustrating the research purpose. Access is limited to authorised persons with a need to know, and collaborators or service providers receive data only where there is a legal basis and appropriate agreements or safeguards.

5.4 Sharing and transfers

Research may involve collaboration across organisations or countries. If personal data is transferred outside the EU/EEA, AU states that an appropriate transfer basis and safeguards must be established so that protection is essentially equivalent to that required within the EU/EEA.

5.5 Retention

Data is kept only as long as needed for the stated purposes, subject to legal, documentation and research-integrity requirements. AU’s research notice states that research data, including personal data, is generally retained for at least five years after the latest research publication in order to document research integrity. Operational app data that is no longer required for its stated purpose is deleted or irreversibly anonymised unless a lawful retention requirement applies.

5.6 Withdrawal from a study and withdrawal of consent

If the processing is based on GDPR consent, consent may be withdrawn for future processing. Withdrawal does not make earlier lawful processing unlawful. Leaving a study does not necessarily mean that already collected research data must be erased; the applicable outcome depends on the study’s legal basis and research exemptions. The study-specific participant information should explain this.

6. Your data-protection rights

Under the GDPR, rights can include access, rectification, erasure, restriction, data portability in certain situations, objection, and the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

Research can involve statutory limitations or exemptions. AU’s general privacy policy notes that some rights may be limited in relation to research and public-authority tasks. AU’s research-privacy information further describes specific research limitations, including that erasure may be refused where deletion would make research impossible or seriously impair it. Study-specific information therefore matters.

Unless a specific study explicitly states otherwise, the BeSafe apps are not intended to make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects for the user. Algorithms may support monitoring, research analysis or alerts, but any materially different use must be described in the relevant project information.

7. Contact, DPO and complaints

Aarhus University

Nordre Ringgade 1
DK-8000 Aarhus C
Denmark

CVR no. 31119103
Phone: +45 8715 0000
Email: au@au.dk

For app- or study-specific questions, use the contact details shown in the app, study invitation or participant-information material.

AU Data Protection Officer

Aarhus University’s current privacy material identifies Niels Vase as Data Protection Officer.

Email: dpo@au.dk
Postal address: Aarhus University, Nordre Ringgade 1, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Attn.: Data Protection Officer.

Danish Data Protection Agency

You can complain about the processing of personal data to the Danish Data Protection Agency (Datatilsynet): Carl Jacobsens Vej 35, DK-2500 Valby, phone +45 33 19 32 00, dt@datatilsynet.dk. AU and Datatilsynet recommend that you normally contact the data controller first, so the issue can be assessed and, where possible, resolved.

8. Changes to this privacy policy

This page may be updated when app functionality, research use, suppliers or legal requirements change. The date at the top of the page shows the latest revision. Material changes affecting an ongoing study should also be communicated through the appropriate study/app channel where required.

9. Official AU and platform information

This shared notice is designed to be read together with the current official material below:

This page summarises and supplements the official material; it is not a verbatim copy of AU’s privacy policy.