Privacy Policy

SquaddUp ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy describes how we collect, use, and share your information when you use our companion-finding platform.

1. Information We Collect

When you use SquaddUp, we collect:

• Account information — name, email address, and password when you register
• Profile information — bio, interests, avatar photo, and age verification status
• Location data — your approximate location to show nearby activities (only when you grant permission)
• Activity data — activities you create, join, or interact with
• Messages — in-app messages sent to activity groups
• Device information — device type, operating system, and push notification tokens
• Usage data — how you interact with the app (pages viewed, features used)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide and improve the SquaddUp service
• Show you relevant activities near your location
• Connect you with other users for activities
• Send notifications about activity updates, messages, and join requests
• Calculate and display trust scores based on activity feedback
• Moderate content and enforce our Terms of Service
• Communicate with you about your account and the service
• Prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats

3. Information We Share

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in these cases:

• With other users — your display name, avatar, bio, interests, trust score, and activity participation are visible to other users
• With service providers — we use third-party services for hosting (Google Cloud), email (Resend), content moderation (OpenAI), analytics and performance (Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights), error tracking (Sentry), ads (Google AdMob/AdSense), and location services (Google Maps)
• For legal reasons — if required by law, regulation, or legal process
• For safety — to protect the rights, safety, or property of SquaddUp, our users, or others
• With your consent — when you explicitly agree to share information

4. Location Data

SquaddUp uses location to show nearby activities and to place activities you create. Precise location is collected only when strictly necessary for those features and only with your permission. We do not share your precise GPS location with other users; activity locations you choose to publish are visible to participants and nearby users.

5. Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored on secure servers hosted by Google Cloud Platform. We use encryption in transit (TLS) and implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Age Verification

For activities marked as 18+, we offer optional age verification through Stripe Identity. This process is handled entirely by Stripe — we do not store or access your identity documents. We only receive the verification result (verified, pending, or rejected).

7. Data Retention

We retain your account data while your account is active. When you delete your account, we anonymize your profile in place, remove account credentials and authentication factors, delete avatar files on a best-effort basis, clear sensitive account fields, and cancel future activities you host. Messages, comments, feedback, reports, and past or already-participated activities remain under "Deleted User" because other users participated in those records or we need them for safety, dispute resolution, and legal compliance.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data through your profile and settings
• Download a JSON copy of your data from the in-app Privacy screen
• Update or correct your information at any time
• Delete your account; future hosted activities are cancelled and retained shared records are anonymized
• Opt out of push notifications in your device settings
• Limit targeted advertising in the app Privacy screen
• Use Global Privacy Control (GPC) in your browser to request non-personalized web ads
• Contact privacy@squaddup.app for help with privacy requests

If you are a resident of the EU/EEA, you may also have rights under GDPR including data portability and restriction of processing. If you are a resident of California or another U.S. state with privacy rights, you may have rights to know, access, delete, correct, and opt out of targeted advertising or sale/sharing of personal information.

9. Children's Privacy

SquaddUp is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@squaddup.app.

10. Third-Party Services

SquaddUp integrates with third-party services that have their own privacy policies:

• Google Cloud Platform — hosting and storage
• Stripe — age verification (Identity API)
• Apple / Google — in-app purchases and app distribution
• Google AdMob and Google AdSense — advertising
• Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights — web analytics and performance
• Sentry — error tracking
• Resend — transactional email
• OpenAI — content moderation
• Google Maps — location services

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes through the app or via email. Continued use of SquaddUp after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact us at privacy@squaddup.app.