Privacy Policy

Gathero! ("we", "our", or "us") operates the Gathero! mobile application (the "App") and related services (the "Service"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal and location data with transparency and care. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Service.

1. Privacy by Design & Core Principles

Our Service is built from the ground up on the principle of Privacy by Design:

1. No Unnecessary Personal Data: We do not require or collect your real name, phone number, email address, physical home address, date of birth, or permanent login passwords.
2. Ephemeral Location Processing: Real-time GPS coordinates are strictly used during active meetup sessions and are automatically and permanently purged from our servers when the meetup concludes or you leave the room.
3. End-to-End Encryption in Transit: All data communications between your device and our servers are encrypted using modern TLS/HTTPS protocols.

2. Information We Collect

A. Information You Directly Provide

• Profile Details: Display name (nickname) and avatar emoji chosen within the App (no real name required).
• In-Session Messages & Photos: Text messages and reference photos you send within a meetup room.
• Support Inquiries: Email address, device details, and inquiry contents provided when you contact our support desk.

B. Automatically Collected Information

• Location Data (Precise GPS Coordinates, Heading, Speed):
  • While creating or participating in an active meetup room, the App collects latitude, longitude, altitude, bearing/heading, and timestamp to calculate distance and estimated arrival time.
  • If background location permission is granted, location updates continue while the App is in the background or the screen is locked, ensuring friends stay informed of your arrival progress.
• Device & Technical Information: Operating system type and version, device model, language setting, and push notification tokens (FCM/APNs).
• Anonymous Identifier (UID): A randomly generated unique identifier issued via Firebase Anonymous Authentication (does not map to any real-world identity).
• Subscription Status: Purchase entitlement status and expiration dates for in-app purchases via Apple App Store / Google Play Store (payment credentials and credit card numbers are handled directly by Apple and Google and are never accessible to us).

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information exclusively for the following purposes:

1. Real-Time Meetup Navigation: Displaying participant locations, computing real-time distance and walking duration, and rendering maps.
2. Communication: Delivering in-room text chat and visual landmark photos.
3. History & Records: Allowing you to review past meetup summaries and routes.
4. Premium Features: Unlocking higher member limits, removing ads, and providing midway spot recommendations.
5. Push Notifications: Notifying you when participants join, arrive, or send messages.
6. Service Stability & Security: Detecting system errors, preventing abusive behavior, and enhancing app performance.
7. Customer Support: Responding to inquiries and verifying data deletion requests.

4. Data Retention & Deletion Schedule

5. Third-Party Services & Infrastructure

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties for advertising or marketing purposes. We work with trusted infrastructure providers that adhere to rigorous security standards:

• Google LLC (Firebase / Google Maps Platform / Google Play): Cloud database, authentication, push notifications, map rendering, Places API, and app distribution.
• Apple Inc. (App Store / APNs / StoreKit): App distribution, push notifications, and subscription billing.
• RevenueCat, Inc.: Subscription lifecycle and receipt validation management.
• Mapbox Inc. / OpenStreetMap: Map styling and routing calculations.

6. Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational safeguards:

• TLS/HTTPS Encryption: Applied to all data in transit to prevent interception.
• Strict Access Control: Cloud Firestore and Realtime Database security rules restrict data access strictly to authenticated members of the respective room.
• Data Minimization: Operating strictly on guest sessions without persistent credentials.

7. Your Rights & Account Deletion (Apple Guideline 5.1.1(v))

1. Location & Notification Permissions: You can modify or revoke location and notification permissions at any time via your device's Settings app.

2. Data & Account Deletion:

• Because the App operates on anonymous guest sessions, uninstalling the App or clearing app storage permanently disconnects your device session UID and prevents future access.
• To request complete manual deletion of server-side logs associated with your session, contact our privacy desk at [email protected] with your App UID.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided personal data, we will promptly delete such information.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted within the App and on our official website at https://getgathero.com/en/privacy. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us