Cicada Ethos

Privacy Policy

Your privacy matters. Learn how Cicada Ethos collects, uses, and protects your data.

Last updated: March 1, 2026

1. Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of information:

  • Health Metrics: Data sourced from Apple HealthKit including step count, heart rate, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep analysis, active energy burned, walking/running distance, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, and other metrics you choose to share.
  • Profile Information: Your name, email address, and any demographic details you provide during registration or study enrollment (e.g., age, sex, location).
  • Device Information: Device type, operating system version, app version, and anonymized device identifiers used for troubleshooting and service improvement.
  • Usage Data: Information about how you interact with the app, including pages visited, features used, and session duration, collected through analytics tools.

2. How We Use Your Data

  • Research: Health data you consent to share is transmitted in de-identified form to the specific research studies you have enrolled in. Researchers use this data for academic and commercial health studies.
  • Aggregation & Insights: We may create aggregated, anonymized datasets that cannot be traced back to any individual. These datasets help us understand trends, improve the platform, and may be shared with partners.
  • Platform Improvement: Usage and device data help us diagnose issues, improve performance, and develop new features.
  • Communications: We use your email to send study updates, consent notifications, reward confirmations, and important service announcements.

3. Data Sharing

  • With Researchers (Per Consent): Your health data is shared only with the specific studies you enroll in and only for the metrics you approve. Data is de-identified before delivery.
  • De-identified Aggregates: We may share aggregated, non-identifiable data with partners, academic institutions, or in published research summaries.
  • Service Providers: We work with trusted third-party providers (hosting, analytics, payment processing) who process data on our behalf under strict confidentiality agreements.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, or valid legal process.

4. Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security practices to protect your data, including:

  • TLS encryption for all data in transit between your device, our servers, and research partners.
  • AES-256 encryption for data at rest in our database and storage systems.
  • Role-based access controls ensuring only authorized personnel can access specific data.
  • Regular security audits, penetration testing, and vulnerability assessments.
  • De-identification processes applied before data is shared with researchers.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. Health data shared with research studies may be retained by researchers in accordance with their study protocols and institutional review board (IRB) requirements. When you delete your account, we remove your personal data from our active systems within 30 days, though de-identified data previously shared with researchers may persist.

6. Your Rights & Controls

You have the right to:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated personal data at any time.
  • Export: Download your data in a portable format.
  • Consent Management: Withdraw consent from any study at any time through the app. Future data sharing will stop immediately.
  • Correction: Update or correct inaccurate profile information at any time through your account settings.

7. Children's Privacy

Cicada Ethos is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that a user is under 18, we will promptly delete their account and associated data.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. When we make material changes, we will notify you via email or in-app notification and update the “Last updated” date above. We encourage you to review this policy regularly.

9. Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: