Buddy Elderly — Privacy Policy

Last updated: 5 July 2026 · Melanca BV (KVK 50737244)

This Privacy Policy explains how Melanca BV ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects information in the Buddy Elderly app ("the App"). Buddy Elderly is a friendly phone companion that helps an older adult do everyday things by talking or typing — such as messaging or calling a family member, sharing a photo, or getting help. It can read replies aloud, and it can call a chosen emergency contact if the phone is shaken three times. We designed the App to collect as little as possible and to keep most information on your own phone.

1. Who the App is for

Buddy Elderly is intended for adults (18 and over) — typically older adults, often set up with the help of a family member. It is not directed at children.

2. Information that stays on your phone

The following is stored only on your device and is not uploaded to our servers:

Your first name — saved on the device so Buddy can greet you. (It is included with your messages when Buddy generates a reply; see section 3.)
Your emergency contact — the name and phone number you choose for the "shake three times to call for help" feature, saved on the device.
Your contacts — when you ask Buddy to message or call someone, the App reads your address book on the device to find that person, then opens WhatsApp, your phone dialer, or your email app. Your contacts are used on the phone only and are never sent to us.
Your photos — when you ask Buddy to show your photos, the App reads recent photos from the device so you can view and share them. Photos are handled on the phone only and are never uploaded to us.

3. Information sent to our service

Your messages to Buddy: the text you type or speak, together with your first name and whether you are on Wi-Fi or mobile data, is sent securely to our server so that an AI assistant can understand you and write a helpful reply. The reply is sent back to your phone.
Buddy's spoken voice: to read replies aloud in a natural voice, the text of Buddy's reply is sent to our voice server, which returns the audio. If the voice server is unavailable, the App falls back to your phone's built-in voice and nothing is sent.
Voice input (talking to Buddy): when you tap the microphone, your speech is converted to text by your phone's own speech-recognition service (on Android, this is provided by Google). That audio is handled by your device and its provider, not stored by us; we only receive the resulting text as your message.
We do not ask you to create an account, and we do not collect your location, use advertising identifiers, or include any third-party analytics or ad software.

4. How we use information

To understand your request and generate a helpful reply.
To read replies aloud in a natural voice.
To help you message, call, or email the person you asked for, and to show or share your photos.
To call your chosen emergency contact when you shake the phone three times.
To keep the service working, secure, and reliable.

We do not use your information for advertising or profiling, and we never sell personal data.

5. Legal bases (GDPR)

We process information to perform the service you asked for (answering your messages and speaking replies), based on your consent for device permissions such as microphone, contacts, and photos, and on our legitimate interest in keeping the App secure and working. You can withdraw consent at any time by turning off a permission in your device settings or by uninstalling the App.

6. How information is shared

Service providers: Amazon Web Services (AWS) hosts our message server and voice server; Anthropic provides the AI model that generates Buddy's replies from your message text. These providers process data on our behalf under data-protection agreements.
Your own apps: when you ask Buddy to message, call, or email someone, the App opens WhatsApp, your phone dialer, or your email app — those apps are governed by their own terms and privacy policies.
Legal: we may disclose information if required by law or to protect someone's safety.
We do not sell or rent personal data.

7. Permissions we ask for

Microphone — so you can talk to Buddy instead of typing.
Contacts — so Buddy can find the person you want to message or call.
Photos / media — so Buddy can show and share your photos.

You can grant or revoke any of these at any time in your device settings. Revoking a permission simply disables the related feature; the rest of the App keeps working.

8. Data retention

Information stored on your phone (your name, emergency contact, and the app's settings) is removed when you uninstall the App. On our servers we do not keep a lasting history of your conversations; messages are processed to produce a reply and any temporary operational logs are cleared within 30 days.

9. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect information, including encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and access controls on our servers. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to keep your information safe.

10. Your rights and controls

You can access, correct, or delete your information and withdraw consent at any time. Most data lives on your phone and is cleared by uninstalling the App. To request deletion of anything held on our servers, or to exercise any other right, contact privacy@buddy-company.com or follow our data deletion page. EU residents may also lodge a complaint with their local data protection authority (in the Netherlands, the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens).

11. Children's privacy

Buddy Elderly is intended for adults and is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

12. International transfers

Our servers are hosted on AWS and our AI provider may process data outside the EU/EEA. Where data is transferred outside the EU/EEA, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses, in accordance with GDPR requirements.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy; we'll revise the "Last updated" date and notify you in the App of material changes.

14. Contact us

Melanca BV
Email: privacy@buddy-company.com
Address: Lindenlaan 3, 3925 JA Scherpenzeel, Netherlands
KVK: 50737244