"Gart," "we," "us," and "our" refer to the Gart project and the team behind it. By installing or using the App, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the App.
These Terms apply to the App only. For Gart's training programs, advisory services, and other offerings, see our general Terms of Service. For how the App handles your data, see the App Privacy Policy.
- In an emergency, always call your local emergency services first. Section 2
- The App is currently in beta, pre-release software. Section 3
- We cannot read your messages or your location. We cannot see your alerts. Your private keys never leave your device. We store anonymous analytics on our own infrastructure. Section 10
1. About this document
This document is the legally binding agreement between you and Gart covering your use of the Gart App on Android.
We call out key points inline. We hide nothing in footnotes or cross-references.
2. What the app is and is not
The Gart App is a privacy-first emergency alert tool. It lets you share your encrypted location and a short message with a pre-selected group of trusted contacts ("Responders") in the moment you need their attention.
The App is not:
- Not an emergency service. Gart does not connect you to police, fire, paramedics, or any public emergency dispatcher. In a life-threatening situation, always call your local emergency number (112 / 911).
- Not a monitoring service. Gart runs no live monitoring. No one at Gart watches your alerts. Alerts are delivered to your Responders only.
- Not a guarantee of safety. The App is a communication tool. Whether your Responders see the alert, how fast they respond, and what they do with it are outside our control.
- Not a replacement for a security plan. The App supplements personal security measures. It does not replace them.
3. Beta program
The App is currently in beta, pre-release software. This means:
- No service level agreement. We make no commitments on uptime, alert delivery latency, or feature availability during the beta period.
- Breaking changes. We may change, remove, or reset features, including user data, with limited or no advance notice.
- Access may end. We may close, extend, or restructure the beta program at any time. Beta access does not guarantee continued access or future pricing.
- Feedback is expected. By participating in the beta, you agree to report bugs and issues through the App's feedback channel. This is how you help make the product work.
These limitations do not reduce the emergency-use cautions in Section 2. Beta or not, always call emergency services in a life-threatening situation.
4. Eligibility
By using the App, you confirm that you have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement under the laws of your jurisdiction.
If you are using the App on behalf of an organization, you confirm that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.
5. Your identity and keys
The Gart App uses the Nostr protocol. Your identity in the App is a cryptographic keypair: a Nostr private key (nsec) and its corresponding public key (npub). You are responsible for this keypair.
- Key custody is yours. Your private key is stored locally on your device in Android secure storage (Android Keystore). We do not hold it, cannot retrieve it, and cannot reset it.
- Loss of key means loss of identity. If you lose your private key and have no backup, your Nostr identity cannot be recovered. Back up your nsec in a secure location.
- Compromise is irreversible. If your private key is exposed to a third party, anyone holding it can act as you on the Nostr network. Gart cannot revoke a key or restore account control.
- You are responsible for your account activity. All actions taken using your keypair are attributed to you.
We recommend using an external Nostr signer (such as Amber, via NIP-55) so your private key never touches the Gart App directly.
6. Decentralized infrastructure
The App routes alerts and messages through the Nostr protocol, a public, decentralized relay network operated by independent third parties. Gart does not own or control these relays.
6.1 What this means for you
- Alert delivery depends on relay availability. If the relays your App is configured to use are unavailable, alerts may be delayed or not delivered.
- We cannot guarantee delivery speed or receipt confirmation from Nostr relays we do not operate.
- Third-party relay operators can see encrypted event metadata (public keys, timestamps, event kinds). They cannot decrypt the content of your alerts or messages.
- Events published to Nostr relays may persist on those relays beyond the control of both you and Gart. Gart cannot delete events from relays it does not operate.
6.2 Our infrastructure
Gart operates a Blossom server for encrypted backup storage. All data on this server is end-to-end encrypted: we cannot decrypt it. We also operate a self-hosted analytics service that collects anonymous usage events. See the App Privacy Policy for details.
Gart is not liable for downtime, data loss, or message failures caused by third-party relay operators.
6.3 No data recovery
Because your keys and local data are stored on your device, and because we cannot access the content of your communications, we cannot recover lost data on your behalf. Back up your account using the App's built-in backup function.
7. Emergency use
The App's alert feature is designed for genuine personal safety emergencies. You agree to use it only for that purpose.
- False alerts. Triggering alerts when no emergency exists wastes your Responders' time and degrades trust. Repeated misuse may result in account suspension.
- Test alerts. The App provides a dedicated test mode for drills. Do not use live alerts to test the system.
- Responder response is voluntary. Gart cannot compel your Responders to act on an alert. Their response is their own decision.
8. Responders
The App sends alerts to the Responders you designate in your group. You are responsible for:
- Consent. Every Responder must actively accept a group invitation before they can receive your alerts. By adding someone as a Responder, you confirm you have their consent to receive emergency notifications from you.
- Currency. Keeping your Responder list current. If a Responder's contact information or availability changes, update your group.
- Readiness. Ensuring your Responders understand their role and have the App installed and configured to receive alerts.
Gart is not responsible for alerts that fail to reach a Responder due to an outdated group, a Responder's device settings, or relay unavailability.
9. User responsibilities
By using the App you agree to:
- Use the App only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms.
- Not use the App to harass, threaten, or surveil another person without their explicit consent.
- Not attempt to circumvent, reverse-engineer, or interfere with the App's encryption or authentication mechanisms.
- Not use the App to transmit unlawful, defamatory, or fraudulent content.
- Keep your device secure. A compromised device may compromise your private key and your group's communications.
- Comply with all applicable local laws regarding location sharing, privacy, and the use of cryptographic tools.
10. Privacy
Your use of the App is subject to our App Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. The Privacy Policy explains what data the App collects, what it does not collect, and how decentralized data flows work in practice.
The short version: we cannot read your messages or your location. We cannot see your alerts. Your private keys never leave your device. We store anonymous analytics on our own infrastructure.
11. Intellectual property
The App, its design, codebase, and all related materials are the property of Gart or its licensors. Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of any intellectual property to you.
We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the App on your Android device for the purposes described in these Terms.
The Nostr protocol is open-source and not owned by Gart. Your Nostr keypair and the events you publish belong to you.
12. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law:
- We provide the App "as is" and "as available." We make no warranty that it will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of security vulnerabilities.
- Gart is not liable for any failure to deliver an alert, delay in delivery, or loss of data resulting from relay unavailability, network conditions, device settings, or factors outside our control.
- Gart is not liable for the actions or inaction of your Responders in response to an alert.
- Gart is not liable for outcomes that result from your use or non-use of the App.
- In all cases where liability cannot be excluded, Gart's total liability to you is limited to the amount you paid for the App (if any) in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim.
Some jurisdictions do not allow exclusion of implied warranties or limitation of liability. In those jurisdictions, the limitations above apply to the maximum extent permitted by law.
13. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Gart and the individuals working on it from any claims, losses, or damages arising from:
- Your breach of these Terms.
- Your use or misuse of the App.
- Your violation of any third party's rights, including the privacy rights of your Responders or other contacts.
- Any false or misleading alerts you trigger.
14. Termination
You may stop using the App at any time by uninstalling it. Uninstalling removes locally stored data from your device.
We may suspend or terminate your access to Gart-operated services (including the Blossom backup server and any future account infrastructure) if:
- You violate these Terms.
- You repeatedly misuse the alert feature.
- We are required to do so by law.
- We discontinue the service, with reasonable notice where possible.
Because your identity is a Nostr keypair, termination of access to our servers does not delete your keypair or prevent you from using the Nostr network through other applications.
15. Changes to these terms
We may update these Terms. Material changes will be communicated through the App, by email (if you have provided one), or via a notice on this page at least 14 days before they take effect.
Continued use of the App after the effective date of revised Terms constitutes acceptance of those Terms.
16. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Czech Republic, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles.
If you have a dispute, raise it with us first via the contact form. We will respond and work to resolve it directly.
17. Contact
Questions about these Terms: contact us via our website form.
Bug reports and app feedback: use the in-app feedback button or the feedback channel listed in the User Manual.