1. Introduction

Found by Friends ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our collaborative mapping platform.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

Account Information: Phone number, display name, and profile photo
Places Data: Places you add, including names, addresses, descriptions, and photos
Friend Information: Friend groups you create or join
Communications: Messages you send through the platform
Preferences: Your privacy settings and notification preferences

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Location Data: Only when you explicitly choose to share your location
Device Information: Device type, operating system, and browser type
Usage Data: How you interact with our Service, features you use
Log Data: IP address, access times, and pages viewed

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Provide and maintain our Service
Authenticate your identity via SMS verification
Enable you to share places and connect with friends
Send you notifications about your friends and places
Improve and personalize your experience
Communicate with you about updates and features
Detect and prevent fraud or abuse
Comply with legal obligations

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 With Other Users: Based on your privacy settings:

Friends can see places you share with them
Users you designate can see places with custom visibility
Only you can see your private places
Live location is only shared when you explicitly enable it

4.2 With Service Providers: We share information with:

Twilio for SMS authentication
Google Maps for mapping services
Supabase for data storage
Vercel for hosting
AWS S3 for media storage

4.3 Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect rights and safety.

5. Location Information

5.1 Location Sharing: Location sharing is:

Always optional and requires explicit consent
Time-limited (default 30 minutes, maximum 24 hours)
Only visible to your friends
Can be stopped at any time

5.2 Place Locations: When you add a place, its location is stored and shared according to your chosen visibility settings.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including:

Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Secure authentication via SMS OTP
Regular security assessments
Limited access to personal information
Secure cloud infrastructure

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to:

Access: Request a copy of your personal information
Update: Correct inaccurate information
Delete: Request deletion of your account and data
Control: Manage privacy settings for each place
Portability: Export your data
Opt-out: Disable notifications and location sharing

8. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our Service:

Account information: Until you delete your account
Places and messages: Until deleted by you
Location sessions: Automatically deleted after expiration
Log data: Retained for 90 days

9. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If we learn we have collected such information, we will promptly delete it.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers.

11. Third-Party Services

Our Service integrates with third-party services (Google Maps, Twilio). Your use of these features is subject to their privacy policies:

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via the app or email. Your continued use after changes indicates acceptance.

13. Contact Us

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

Email: privacy@foundbyfriends.com

Address: [Your Business Address]

14. California Privacy Rights

California residents have additional rights under the CCPA, including the right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information) and the right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights.

15. European Privacy Rights

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have additional rights under GDPR, including the right to object to processing and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.