Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to Pingo ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and services.

By using Pingo, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our services.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you use our services:

• Account Information: Email address, display name, and authentication credentials (Google Sign-In or email/password)
• Profile Information: Display name and user preferences you choose to set
• Location Data: GPS coordinates only when you manually create a check-in. This is not live location tracking - it's a single location pin you choose to save at a specific moment in time
• Check-in Data: Mood status, optional notes, and timestamps you create when checking in
• Friend Connections: Friend request connections you make within the app (we only store the connection itself, not information about your friends' activities)

Service and Technical Information

• Device Tokens: Push notification tokens (only if you enable notifications) to send you friend-related alerts
• Authentication Data: Session tokens to keep you logged in securely

Important: We do not automatically collect browsing data, advertising IDs, or track your activity outside the app. All data collection is transparent and occurs only when you actively use app features.

How We Use Your Information

We use your information solely to provide and improve our services. We do not use your data for advertising, analytics, or any purposes beyond what is necessary to operate the app:

• Provide Our Services: To enable you to create check-ins, connect with friends, and use app features
• Maintain Your Account: To authenticate you and maintain your account security
• Enable Friend Features: To connect you with friends and show shared check-ins based on privacy settings you control
• Send Notifications: To send you friend requests and friend activity alerts (only if you enable notifications)
• Respond to You: To answer your support requests and inquiries
• Protect Our Services: To maintain security, prevent abuse, and enforce our terms
• Comply with Law: To meet legal obligations when required

We do not: Sell your data, use it for advertising, track you across websites, or share it with third parties for their marketing purposes.

Location Data Privacy

Location data is sensitive, and we treat it with care. Here's exactly how location works in Pingo:

• Not Live Tracking: We do not track your live location. Location is captured only as a single GPS pin at the moment you manually create a check-in
• One-Time Capture: Each check-in saves one location point - it does not continuously monitor where you are
• Your Control: You choose the privacy level for each check-in (private, friends only, or public)
• Optional Feature: You can create check-ins without location data if you prefer
• Revocable Permission: You can disable GPS access anytime in your device settings, and the app will continue to work
• No Background Access: We never access your location in the background or when you're not actively using the app

Your location data is stored securely and shared only according to the privacy settings you explicitly set for each check-in.

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

We share your information only in these limited circumstances:

• With Your Friends (When You Choose): Check-ins you mark as "friends only" are visible to your connected friends. Check-ins marked as "public" may be visible to other app users. Check-ins marked as "private" are visible only to you
• Service Infrastructure: We use trusted service providers to host our servers and deliver push notifications. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only to provide services to us
• Legal Obligations: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, legal process, or government request
• Safety and Security: We may share information to protect the safety of our users or the public, prevent fraud, or defend our legal rights
• Business Transfers: If our company is acquired or merged, your information may be transferred to the new owner, who will continue to honor this privacy policy
• With Your Explicit Consent: In any other situation, we will ask for your permission before sharing your information

Your friend connections are private - we only store that a connection exists, not any information about your friends' activities beyond what they choose to share with you.

Third-Party Services

To provide our services, we use limited third-party infrastructure providers:

• Google Sign-In: For secure authentication (optional - you can also use email/password). When you use Google Sign-In, Google's terms apply. See Google's Privacy Policy
• Firebase Cloud Messaging: For push notifications (only if you enable notifications)
• Map Tile Providers: For displaying map tiles in the app (OpenStreetMap or similar)
• Cloud Hosting: For secure server infrastructure and data storage

These service providers process data only as necessary to deliver their specific services and are contractually required to protect your information.

No Advertising or Tracking: We do not use analytics services, advertising networks, or third-party trackers that collect your data.

Data Security

We take the security of your data seriously and implement industry-standard security measures:

• Encrypted Transmission: All data is transmitted over secure HTTPS/TLS connections
• Secure Authentication: Passwords are securely hashed using industry-standard algorithms
• Access Controls: Strict authentication and authorization controls protect your data
• Infrastructure Security: We use secure, reputable hosting providers with strong security practices
• Minimal Data Collection: We collect only the data necessary to provide our services

While we implement strong security measures, no internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. We work continuously to protect your information, but cannot guarantee absolute security. If you believe your account has been compromised, please contact us immediately at pingo@toorun.dev.

Your Privacy Rights and Choices

You have full control over your data and privacy:

• Access Your Data: View all your check-ins and profile information within the app
• Correct Information: Update your display name and preferences anytime in your profile
• Delete Your Account: Permanently delete your account and all associated data using the "Delete Account" button in your profile settings. Deletion is immediate and irreversible
• Export Your Data: Request a copy of your data by contacting us
• Control Sharing: Set privacy levels (private, friends only, or public) for each check-in individually
• Manage Permissions: Enable or disable GPS access and push notifications in your device settings or app settings
• Control Notifications: Turn notifications on or off at any time
• Manage Friends: Add or remove friend connections as you choose

To delete your account: Go to Profile → Delete Account. Your data will be permanently removed from our systems.

For other requests: Contact us at pingo@toorun.dev and we'll respond within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

Pingo is not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect, use, or share personal information from children under 13.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at pingo@toorun.dev. We will promptly delete such information from our systems.

If we discover we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.

Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as necessary to provide our services:

• Active Accounts: We keep your data while your account is active
• After Account Deletion: When you delete your account, we immediately and permanently delete all your personal data, including check-ins, location data, and friend connections
• Legal Requirements: In rare cases, we may need to retain certain information to comply with legal obligations (e.g., valid legal requests)
• Backups: Deleted data may persist in backup systems for up to 30 days before permanent removal

We do not retain your data for marketing, analytics, or any purpose after you delete your account.

International Data Transfers

Your information may be stored and processed on servers located in different countries. If you are located outside the country where our servers are hosted, your data will be transferred internationally.

When we transfer your data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws. We use secure hosting providers with strong privacy and security practices.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy occasionally to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• We will post the revised policy on this page
• For material changes, we may notify you via email or in-app notification
• Your continued use of Pingo after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: pingo@toorun.dev

We will respond to your inquiry within a reasonable timeframe.