Privacy Policy

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to the GEM Remotes mobile app for iPhone and Android, the GEM REMOTES cloud service that the app connects to, and the GEM REMOTES lift controller installed on your dock. It describes the personal information involved in operating these products together. It does not cover third-party websites or services that may link to ours.

2. The mobile app

The GEM REMOTES app is how you sign in, see your lift's status, and operate it. We designed it to keep personal data to a minimum and to keep sensitive checks on your device.

Account information

To create and sign in to your account, we collect your email address and an optional display name. That's it — the email is your login and how we'd reach you about your account; the display name simply makes shared lifts easier to read.

Authentication & biometrics

• When you sign in, the app stores a secure authentication token in your device's keychain (the iOS Keychain or the Android Keystore) so you don't have to log in every time. This token stays on your device.
• If you enable Face ID, Touch ID, or fingerprint unlock, those checks happen entirely on your device. Your biometric data is handled by your phone's secure hardware — it is never sent to us and never leaves your device.

Location (optional)

If you choose to share your location, the app uses it for one purpose only: to find the nearest NOAA tide station so it can show local tide predictions. This location is used on your device to look up a station and is not stored on our servers. You can deny or revoke location access at any time in your phone's settings; the rest of the app continues to work.

Notification preferences

You control whether you receive push or SMS notifications (for example, a fault alert or a record of your lift being operated). We store your notification preferences and, if you opt in to SMS, the phone number you provide for that purpose. You can turn notifications off at any time.

3. The cloud service

The cloud service lets you reach your lift from anywhere and keeps everyone who shares a lift in sync. Here is what it stores and how it's protected.

What we store in our database

• Account details — your email, optional display name, hashed password, and notification preferences.
• Lift access & shared keys — which lifts your account is allowed to see and operate, the role you have on each (owner or operator), and — when an owner shares access with someone — the limits that apply to that shared key (its optional expiry date and its optional time-of-day window).
• Device state — the current position and status of your lift (for example, up/down position, motor state, and limit indicators) so the app can show it to you.
• Fob names — the friendly labels you assign to paired remotes so you can tell them apart.
• Activity / audit log — a record of operations and security-relevant events (such as sign-ins and lift commands) used to keep your account secure and to show you who operated the lift and when.

Sharing access with others (guest keys)

A lift's owner can share access with another person — for example, a family member, a houseguest, or a dock service. When you share access:

• You enter the email of the other person's GEM REMOTES account so the key is granted to the right account, and you may add an optional label (such as "Dock guest") to remind yourself who a key is for.
• We store the grant and the limits you choose: an operator role, an optional expiry date, and an optional time-of-day window (with its time zone) during which the key works.
• The person you share with can see the lift and operate it only within those limits. Owner-only actions — renaming the lift, managing remotes, firmware updates, and sharing access — are never available to a shared key.
• Access ends automatically when the key expires, and the owner can revoke a key at any time, which removes the other person's access immediately.

We use a shared-access email only to grant and manage that access — never to market to the recipient.

How it's protected

• Encrypted in transit. All communication between the app, the cloud, and the controller is encrypted using TLS.
• Per-user isolation. Accounts are isolated from one another — you can only access the lifts your account has been granted.
• Hashed passwords. Passwords are never stored in plain text; they are hashed with bcrypt.
• Audit logging. Security-relevant events are logged so we can detect and investigate suspicious activity.

Hosting & processors

Our production cloud service is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which processes and stores data on our behalf under its own security and privacy commitments. We use service providers only to operate GEM REMOTES — never to advertise to you or to sell your information.

4. The controller device

The controller is the unit on your dock that actually drives the lift. It is built to do its job without holding any personal information about you.

• What it reports. The controller sends operational telemetry only — things like lift position, status, fault conditions, and fob usage. This tells the app and cloud how the lift is doing.
• No personal information. The controller stores no personal information about you — no names, no emails, no account data.
• Secrets stay protected. Configuration secrets such as Wi-Fi credentials and security keys are held in encrypted storage on the device.
• Authenticated, signed commands. Commands sent to the controller are authenticated and signed, so the lift only acts on legitimate instructions from authorized accounts.

5. Tide data source

Tide predictions shown in the app come from NOAA CO-OPS (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services), a public source of U.S. tide data. NOAA is an independent third party; we display its public predictions and do not send your personal information to it. Tide data is provided for convenience and is not guaranteed for navigation.

6. What we do not do

We think it's just as important to be clear about what GEM REMOTES does not collect or do:

• We do not sell your data — not to anyone, for any purpose.
• We do not use advertising networks and we show no ads in the app.
• We do not embed third-party trackers or analytics that profile you across other apps and sites.
• We do not transmit your biometrics. Face ID, Touch ID, and fingerprint checks stay on your device.
• We do not store your location on our servers — it's used on-device only to find the nearest tide station.
• We keep personal information minimal — essentially just the email (and optional name) needed to run your account.

7. Data retention & your rights

We keep your account information and lift data for as long as your account is active, plus a reasonable period for security, audit, and legal purposes. Audit logs are retained to help protect your account.

You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal information, and to delete your account entirely. When you delete your account, we remove your personal information from our active systems; some records may persist briefly in backups or where retention is required for security or by law. To make a request, contact us at privacy@gemremotes.com.

8. Children's privacy

The GEM REMOTES app and service are intended for use by adults operating boat-lift equipment and are not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as our products evolve or as required by law. When we make material changes, we'll update the effective date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you in the app. Your continued use of GEM REMOTES after an update means you accept the revised policy.

10. Contact us

Questions about this policy or your data? We're happy to help.

GEM Remotes
4651 Mercantile Ave.
Naples, FL 34104
Privacy: privacy@gemremotes.com
General: info@gemremotes.com · 239.642.0873