Privacy Policy
Effective date: 1 June 2025
Introduction
Drive Salem (operated by Emstell Technology Consulting W.L.L., "we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use the Salem App and related services (collectively, the "Service"), how we use and protect that information, and your rights regarding it. By using the Service you agree to this policy.
Information We Collect
Account information
When you register we collect your name, email address, mobile number, and country (default: Kuwait). We do not store raw passwords — authentication is handled by our secure identity provider.
Device information
We register your device (make, model, OS version, unique device identifier) to verify that trips are recorded on your primary phone. Device integrity signals (such as SafetyNet or App Attest attestations) are collected to detect tampered or emulated devices.
Trip and driving data
The app records GPS traces while you drive. Raw GPS coordinates are transmitted to our servers, processed to compute your safety score (speed-limit compliance, distance driven, driving events), and then stored only in our secure cloud storage (Amazon S3). Derived trip summaries — distance, duration, compliant kilometres, points earned, and area names — are stored in our database and visible in the app. Your exact GPS coordinates are never exposed in the app, admin portal, or partner interfaces.
Driving-behaviour signals
We derive telemetry events from your GPS data — including harsh-braking count, harsh-acceleration count, sudden-speed-drop count, phone-distraction count, and speeding-event count. These are stored as summary counts per trip and are used to compute your safety score and achievement badges. No raw sensor readings are retained after processing.
Reward and payment data
When you redeem points or purchase a subscription (e.g. the Dependents feature) we record transaction identifiers, points amounts, offer details, and payment reference numbers from our payment processor (Hesabe). We do not store full card numbers or CVV codes; payment card data is handled exclusively by Hesabe under PCI-DSS.
Usage and analytics data
We collect app-usage events (screens viewed, challenges joined, badges viewed) for product analytics and service improvement. This data is pseudonymised where possible and is never sold to third parties.
How We Use Your Information
- Provide, operate, and improve the Service, including scoring your trips and awarding points.
- Verify your identity and prevent fraud, including detecting trips recorded on unauthorised devices.
- Calculate and display your safety score, tier level, leaderboard rank, and badges.
- Process reward redemptions and settle payments with partner businesses.
- Send you service notifications (e.g. trip results, challenge updates, account alerts) via push notification or email.
- Comply with applicable laws and regulations in the State of Kuwait and other GCC jurisdictions where we operate.
- Respond to your support requests and communicate with you about the Service.
How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal data. We share information only in the following limited circumstances:
Partner businesses
When you redeem a reward, we share your redemption code and the minimum information needed for the partner to verify and fulfil your reward. Partners do not receive your GPS data, safety score, or driving history.
Service providers
We use trusted third-party providers — including Amazon Web Services (cloud infrastructure), Hesabe (payments), and Keycloak (identity) — to operate the Service. These providers process your data only on our instructions and under contractual confidentiality obligations.
Legal obligations
We may disclose your information to comply with a court order, law, or regulatory requirement, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Drive Salem, our users, or the public.
Data Retention
We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. Trip summaries are retained for a minimum of 12 months to support rewards, auditing, and dispute resolution. Raw GPS traces in secure storage are retained for 90 days after processing, after which they are automatically deleted. If you delete your account, we erase your personal identifiers and driving history; anonymised aggregate statistics and financial records required for legal compliance are retained in accordance with applicable law.
Security
We implement industry-standard technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including TLS encryption in transit, AES-256 encryption at rest for sensitive payloads, strict access controls, and regular security reviews. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure; in the event of a breach that affects your rights we will notify you as required by applicable law.
Children
The Service is intended for drivers aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18 without verifiable parental consent. The Dependents feature allows a parent or guardian to monitor linked child accounts; the parent is responsible for ensuring appropriate consent. If you believe a child's data has been collected without consent, contact us immediately.
Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data; to object to or restrict certain processing; and to data portability. To exercise any of these rights, or to request an export of your personal data, go to Settings → Account → Export My Data in the app, or contact us at the address below. We will respond within 30 days.
International Data Transfers
Drive Salem is headquartered in Kuwait. Your data may be processed in the European Union and United States (Amazon Web Services regions) where our cloud infrastructure is located. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for any such transfers.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we make material changes we will notify you via the app or email and update the effective date above. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to this policy or our privacy practices, please contact:
Emstell Technology Consulting W.L.L. Email: privacy@drivesalem.com Address: Kuwait City, State of Kuwait