Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Aroundify is the controller for personal data processed through the Aroundify app and public website. For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, contact [email protected].

2. Information we collect

• Account information, such as email address, sign-in provider details, account identifiers, and authentication status.
• Profile information you provide, such as display name, real name where used, anonymous handle, avatar, photos, age, job, bio, gender, and visibility range.
• Location information used for nearby discovery, including approximate or precise coordinates when you start a pulse, choose an event location, add a business location, or use nearby features.
• User content, such as pulse descriptions, stories, event details, comments, connection requests, personal messages, business messages, business listing details, business photos, business-hosted events, reports, and support messages.
• Business listing information, such as business name, description, photos, selected fixed location, owner account ID, legal acceptance timestamps, owner authorization declarations, follower counts, community confirmation counts, report counts, trust status, and listing update timestamps.
• Safety and relationship information, such as match status, followed businesses, blocked users, business blocks, report reasons, moderation records, timestamps, and related identifiers.
• Business confirmation information, such as the confirming user ID, business ID, business location version, whether the user was nearby, approximate rounded distance, and confirmation timestamp.
• Device and app information, such as notification tokens, notification settings, local app preferences, and technical logs needed to operate and secure the service.

3. Why we use information

• Contract and service delivery: to create accounts, authenticate users, provide map discovery, pulses, events, business listings, matching, messaging, notifications, support, and account settings.
• Consent and device permissions: to access location, camera/photos, and notifications only when your device or app settings allow it. You can withdraw these permissions in your device settings.
• Legitimate interests: to keep Aroundify reliable, prevent abuse, maintain security, debug issues, respond to support requests, and improve the product.
• Legal obligations and safety: to investigate reports, preserve limited moderation or security records, comply with law, resolve disputes, and enforce our Terms and Community Guidelines.

4. Location data

Aroundify is location-aware, but it is not designed to continuously follow or broadcast your live movement. When you start a pulse, Aroundify captures the location you choose at that moment and pins your marker to that fixed spot until the pulse ends or you turn it off.

You may choose a pulse spot within the allowed distance from your current position. Other users can see active pulse markers according to the feature design and selected visibility range, but your identity remains limited until mutual approval where the app provides that protection.

Events and business listings use locations you select on the map. Event locations may be visible to other users as part of the event. Business locations are treated as fixed listing locations and may remain visible while the business listing is active. If you confirm that you saw a business nearby, Aroundify records a rounded approximate distance instead of storing your raw confirmation location.

If you disable location permission, Aroundify cannot provide some nearby discovery features. You can change location permission at any time in your device settings. Stopping a pulse or deleting your account removes active pulse visibility, subject to limited retention described below.

5. Visibility and user content

Some information you add to Aroundify is meant to be shared with other users, such as active pulses, selected profile fields, stories, events, business listings, comments, and messages. Aroundify uses identity controls so some profile details are limited until mutual approval, depending on the feature.

Business listings are designed to be visible to other users and may show the business name, description, photos, selected location, follower count, community confirmation status, business-hosted events, and related trust labels.

If you follow, message, confirm, report, or are blocked by a business, Aroundify stores records needed to provide those features. Business owners may see limited in-app identifiers, such as anonymous names or message details, when needed to manage followers, messages, reports, or blocks.

Messages may include encrypted content and metadata needed for delivery, unread status, safety, account operations, and notifications. Reports and blocks are used to protect users and may not be visible to the reported or blocked person.

6. Sharing and service providers

We share information only as needed to operate Aroundify:

• With other users, according to the feature you use, such as map discovery, stories, events, business listings, matching, comments, and chat.
• With business owners or users interacting with a business, as needed to provide business listings, follows, confirmations, reports, blocks, business-hosted events, and business messaging.
• With service providers that help operate Aroundify, including Firebase, Google Sign-In, Google Maps Platform, cloud database and hosting, storage, analytics, and notification infrastructure.
• When required by law, legal process, safety needs, fraud prevention, rights protection, or enforcement of our Terms and Community Guidelines.
• In connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or transfer of the service, subject to appropriate privacy protections.

7. Retention and deletion

We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably needed to provide Aroundify, maintain safety and security, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent abuse, and enforce agreements.

You can delete your account in the app or request deletion through the public account deletion page. Account deletion is designed to remove your profile, authentication account where technically possible, push tokens, active pulses, stories, event attendance, event comments, created events, connections, chat messages, business-owned records, business listings you manage, business follows, confirmations, blocks, and related account data.

Some limited records may be retained where necessary for legal compliance, safety investigations, fraud prevention, dispute handling, business listing disputes, security logging, backup recovery, moderation records, or other legitimate operational needs. Reports, abuse-prevention records, support records, backups, and logs may take additional time to expire or be removed.

8. Your rights and choices

• You can update profile information and notification settings in the app.
• You can create, update, or delete a business listing you manage where those controls are available.
• You can follow or unfollow businesses, remove a business confirmation, report a business, or block business contact where those controls are available.
• You can report or block users where in-app controls are available.
• You can withdraw device permissions for location, camera/photos, and notifications in your device settings.
• You can request access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection, portability, consent withdrawal help, or other privacy assistance by emailing [email protected].
• You can request account and data deletion at aroundify.app/account-deletion.
• If you are in the EEA, UK, or another region with privacy rights, you may also contact your local data protection authority or supervisory authority.

9. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect information, including access controls, Firebase security rules, encrypted messaging support where available, and operational safeguards. No internet or mobile service can be guaranteed to be fully secure.

10. Age limit

Aroundify is intended for adults 18 and older. Do not use Aroundify if you are under 18. If you believe a minor has provided information to Aroundify, contact us so we can review and take appropriate action.

11. International transfers

Your information may be processed in countries other than where you live. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for international transfers, such as contractual protections used by our service providers.

12. Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted on this page with a new date.

13. Contact

For privacy requests or questions, email [email protected].