Privacy Policy

Last Updated: March 2026

1. Information We Collect

PinRally collects the following types of information:

Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your email address, name, and authentication details.
Profile Information: You may choose to provide additional profile information such as a profile picture and bio.
Content: We collect the content you create and share through our service, including rally coordination rooms, messages, event details, media files, and location pins.
Usage Data: We collect information about how you use our app, including interactions with features and performance data.
Device Information: We may collect device-specific information such as your device model, operating system, and app version.
Location Information: With your permission, we collect your device's location only while the app is open and actively in use (foreground only). We do not collect background location at any time. Location is used to suggest when you may want to update your arrival status. Your GPS coordinates are never shared with other users — only the arrival status you manually select is visible to other participants. You can control location permissions in your device settings.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide and maintain our service
Personalize your experience
Communicate with you about our service
Improve our app and develop new features
Ensure the security and integrity of our service
Send relevant location-based notifications about nearby conversations and events
Comply with legal obligations

3. Location Data — Important Details

PinRally uses foreground-only location access. Location is only read while you have the app open on your screen.

No background location: We do not request, access, or collect your location when the app is not in active use.
No location sharing: Your GPS coordinates are never transmitted to any other participant, organizer, or third party.
Manual status only: The only location-related information visible to other rally participants is the arrival status you manually select (e.g. "On the way", "Arrived").
Your control: You may deny or revoke location permission in your device settings at any time. Denying permission only limits convenience features — arrival status can still be set manually.

4. Information Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties, except:

With your explicit consent
To comply with legal requirements
To protect our rights and safety
In connection with a business transfer or merger
With trusted third-party service providers (e.g., Firebase, Google Maps, analytics providers, AI services) who assist us in delivering core features of the app. These providers may collect and process data subject to their own privacy policies.

4.1 AI Services and Data Processing

PinRally uses artificial intelligence (AI) services to enhance coordination and maintain community safety:

AI-Powered Features

Place Insights: We use AI to generate helpful tips about rally locations (e.g., parking info, entrance notes, accessibility). Important: Only place names and addresses are sent to our AI provider (Google Gemini). No personal identifiable information (PII) or sensitive data is transmitted.
Content Moderation: We use AI to automatically review rally descriptions and profile information for violations of our Community Guidelines. This helps detect spam, harassment, and harmful content. Note: Chat messages are not pre-moderated to ensure real-time coordination.

Data Sent to AI Services

The following types of data may be sent to our AI service providers:

For Place Insights: Only place names and addresses. No personal identifiable information (PII), user data, location history, or any sensitive information is transmitted.
For Content Moderation: Text content from rally descriptions and profile bios, and profile photos. This may include PII that you choose to include in these fields.
Never sent for insights: Your personal identifiable information, user data, location history are never sent to AI services for Place Insights generation
Never sent: Chat messages, private account credentials, location data, or device information are never sent to AI services

AI Provider Information

Provider: Google Gemini AI (for both Place Insights and Content Moderation)
Purpose: Generate helpful insights and moderate content for safety
Data handling: Subject to Google's AI/API Services Privacy Policy
Data retention: We do not control how long the AI provider retains data sent through their API

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. This includes:

Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Regular security assessments
Limited access to personal information
Secure data storage practices

6. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access: You can request a copy of your personal data
Correction: You can update or correct your information
Deletion: You can request deletion of your account and associated data (learn how)
Data Portability: You can request an export of your data
Opt-out: You can opt out of certain data collection practices, such as analytics, marketing, or background location tracking

For users in certain regions (e.g., EU/EEA, California), you may also have additional rights under applicable laws (GDPR, CCPA).

7. Analytics and Tracking

We use Firebase Analytics and other analytics services to understand how our app is used and improve your experience. These services collect anonymized data that helps us make PinRally better for everyone.

What Analytics Data We Collect

App usage patterns: Which features you use, how often, and for how long
Feature interaction data: When you create rallies, send messages, or use other app features
Performance metrics: App load times, screen rendering, and responsiveness
Crash reports: Technical information when the app crashes to help us fix bugs
Device information: Device model, OS version, screen size, and language settings
User properties: Non-identifying characteristics like user level, XP, and permission states

Analytics Provider

We use Firebase Analytics by Google, which collects and processes analytics data subject to Google's Firebase Privacy Policy.

What We DO NOT Track

Your precise location (only general region data may be collected)
The content of your messages or conversations
Your personal contact information beyond authentication
Data from other apps on your device
Your behavior on other websites or apps

Why We Use Analytics

Analytics helps us:

Improve app performance: Identify slow screens or features that cause crashes
Prioritize features: See which features are most valuable to users
Fix bugs faster: Get notified of errors and crashes automatically
Optimize user experience: Understand where users get stuck or confused
Measure growth: Track app adoption and retention

Your Control Over Analytics

While we believe analytics helps us serve you better, you have control:

Automatic tracking: Basic analytics are collected automatically to ensure app quality
Opt-out options: You can limit data collection through your device settings (Settings > Privacy > Analytics & Improvements on iOS)
Anonymized data: Analytics data cannot identify you personally
No third-party advertising: We don't use analytics for ad targeting or sell your data

Note: Analytics data is essential for maintaining and improving PinRally. Disabling analytics may limit our ability to fix bugs that affect your experience.

8. User Content and Community Safety

Because PinRally is a coordination platform:

Content you post (rally details, chats, location updates) is visible to other participants in your coordination rooms.
You should not share sensitive personal information in public content.
We may review, moderate, or remove content that violates our Terms of Use or Community Guidelines.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy. When you delete your account, we will delete your personal information, except where we are required to retain it for legal or security purposes.

10. Children's Privacy

PinRally requires all users to be at least 13 years of age. Our service is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect 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 and we will delete that data promptly. See our Child Safety Standards for full details.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.

12. Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability

PinRally is a coordination platform. We are not responsible for the accuracy of user-generated content, arrival times, or for any actions taken by users. Use of the app is at your own risk.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or your personal information, please contact us through the app's feedback feature or support channels.