Privacy Policy for Locae

Last Updated: July 08, 2025

Welcome to Locae, a location-based social app that helps you discover and connect with nearby people through profiles, private messaging, and stories, and explore nearby local stores (like clothing, kirana, or furniture shops). We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains, in simple terms, what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and how we keep it safe. By using Locae, you agree to this policy.

1. What Data We Collect

To make Locae work smoothly and provide you with a great experience, we collect the following types of data, depending on whether you're a normal user or a shop owner:

a. Authentication Data

  • What we collect: Your email address and password (for both normal users and shop owners).
  • Why: To let you securely sign up, log in, and access your account.
  • How it's stored: Securely hashed and managed by Firebase Authentication.

b. User Profile Data (Normal Users, Optional)

  • What we collect: Your name, age, gender, profile photo, bio, occupation, interests, and hobbies. You choose what to share!
  • Why: To help you create a personalized profile that others can see, making it easier to connect with people nearby.
  • How it's stored: Stored securely on Supabase servers. Profile photos are stored in Wasabi Cloud Storage.

c. Store Profile Data (Shop Owners, Optional)

  • What we collect: Store name, category (e.g., clothing, kirana, furniture), product details (e.g., descriptions, prices, images), and a one-time store location (with your permission).
  • Why: To create a store profile that normal users can discover based on proximity, and to display your products.
  • How it's stored: Stored securely on Supabase servers. Product images are stored in Wasabi Cloud Storage.

d. Location Data

  • Normal Users:
    • What we collect: Your precise location (with your permission). Locae stores only your most recent location (one entry). When a new location is updated, it replaces the previous one (like an "upsert").
    • Why: To show you nearby users and local stores for location-based matching and discovery.
    • How it's stored: Securely stored on Supabase servers.
  • Shop Owners:
    • What we collect: A one-time store location (with your permission) when you set up your store profile. You can update this location anytime. We do not track or share your store's location beyond this.
    • Why: To allow normal users to find your store based on proximity.
    • How it's stored: Securely stored on Supabase servers.

e. Messaging and Story Data

  • What we collect: Text messages, timestamps, sender/receiver identifiers (like user IDs), and media files (e.g., images, videos) for chats and stories (for normal users only). After a message is read, the previous message is deleted from our Firebase database, but messages may remain stored locally on both users' devices (sender and receiver). Chat and story media files are deleted from our servers within 7 days.
  • Why: To let you chat privately with other users in real-time and share temporary stories.
  • How it's stored: Text messages and identifiers are stored securely on Firebase for real-time messaging. Media files (e.g., chat or story images/videos) are stored in Wasabi Cloud Storage.

f. Notification Data

  • What we collect: A unique Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token for your device (for both normal users and shop owners).
  • Why: To send you real-time push notifications about new messages or stories (for normal users) or store-related activity (e.g., profile updates for shop owners).
  • How it's stored: Securely managed by Supabase, with FCM tokens processed via Firebase Cloud Messaging.

g. Advertising Data

  • What we collect: Device information (e.g., device ID, IP address) and ad interaction data (e.g., ad clicks, views) collected by AdMob.
  • Why: To display ads in the app, which may be personalized based on your interests or non-personalized, to support the app's free features.
  • How it's stored: Processed by AdMob (by Google) to deliver and measure ad performance.

2. Why We Collect Your Data

We collect and use your data to make Locae fun, safe, and easy to use. Here's how:

  • User Authentication: To keep your account (normal user or shop owner) secure and let you log in without hassle.
  • User Discovery: To show normal users nearby people and local stores based on their most recent location.
  • Store Discovery: To display shop owners' store profiles and products to nearby normal users based on the store's one-time location.
  • Personalization: To create a unique experience by showing profiles (for users) or store details (for shop owners) tailored to preferences.
  • Messaging and Stories: To enable private, real-time chats and temporary stories for normal users.
  • Notifications: To keep you updated about new messages or stories (for normal users) or store-related activity (for shop owners).
  • Advertising: To show relevant or non-personalized ads to keep Locae free for all users.

We only use your data for the features described here and never for anything else without your consent.

3. How We Keep Your Data Safe

Your privacy is our priority. Here's how we protect your information:

  • Secure Storage:
    • Authentication and messaging data are stored securely on Firebase.
    • Profile data (user and store), location data, and notification data are stored securely on Supabase.
    • Media files (like profile photos, product images, chat, or story media) are stored securely in Wasabi Cloud Storage.
    • Advertising data is processed securely by AdMob.
  • Encryption: Data is encrypted when it's sent (in transit) and when it's stored (at rest).
  • No Sensitive Data: We don't collect or store financial details (like credit card numbers) or government-issued IDs.
  • Limited Access: Only chat participants see messages, only your most recent location is used for normal user matching, and store locations are used solely for discovery by normal users.

While we take every precaution, no system is 100% secure. If you have concerns, please contact us (see Section 9).

4. Who We Share Your Data With

We don't sell or share your personal data with third parties, except in these specific cases:

  • Service Providers:
    • Firebase (by Google): Handles authentication and real-time messaging.
    • Supabase: Stores profile data (user and store), location data, and notification data.
    • Wasabi Cloud Storage: Stores media files like profile photos, product images, and chat/story media.
    • AdMob (by Google): Delivers and measures ads, using device and ad interaction data.

    These providers only access the data needed to provide their services and are bound by strict privacy agreements. For details, see their privacy policies: Firebase, Supabase, Wasabi, AdMob.

  • Legal Requirements: If required by law (e.g., a court order), we may share data to comply with legal obligations or protect our rights.
  • Safety: To prevent fraud, abuse, or harm, we may share data if absolutely necessary.

We'll never share your data for purposes beyond what's described here without your explicit permission.

5. International Data Transfers

Your personal data may be stored and processed in countries outside of your country of residence, including the United States and other countries where our service providers (e.g., Firebase, Supabase, Wasabi) operate. We ensure that your data is transferred and processed in compliance with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), by using standard contractual clauses or other appropriate safeguards.

6. Children's Privacy

Locae is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete such information from our systems.

7. Your Rights and Choices

You're in control of your data. Here's what you can do:

  • Update Your Profile: Edit your user profile (normal users) or store profile (shop owners, including product details or store location) in the app's settings.
  • Delete Your Data: To delete your account and all associated data (including user/store profiles, location, messages/stories for normal users, and media files), contact us (see Section 9). We will remove your data from Supabase, Firebase, and Wasabi within 3 to 5 days, except where we're legally required to keep it. AdMob data is managed by Google per their policies.
  • Delete Location Data (Normal Users): You can delete your most recent location data at any time through the app's settings. Since we only store one location, this removes all location data we have for you.
  • Enable/Disable Location Sharing (Normal Users): Turn location sharing on or off in the app's settings. When off, Locae stops collecting or updating your location, and your profile won't appear in nearby user or store searches. You can toggle this anytime.
  • Manage Store Location (Shop Owners): You can update your store's one-time location in the app's settings. To delete it, contact us (see Section 9), and we'll remove it within 3 to 5 days.
  • Manage Messages and Stories (Normal Users): After you read a message, the previous message is automatically deleted from our Firebase database but may remain on your device and the recipient's device locally. Chat and story media files are automatically deleted from Wasabi within 7 days. You can also delete entire conversations in the app, which removes remaining messages from Firebase immediately.
  • Manage Permissions: You can turn off location access or notifications in your device settings, but this may limit some app features (e.g., user discovery for normal users or store visibility for shop owners).
  • Request Your Data: Want a copy of your data? Contact us, and we'll help you out (see Section 9).
  • Opt-Out of Personalized Ads: You can opt out of personalized ads by adjusting your ad preferences in the app's settings or through your device's ad settings (e.g., Google's Ad Settings). For more information, visit AdMob's privacy policy.

If you're in a region like the European Union (GDPR) or California (CCPA), you have additional rights, such as data portability or objecting to data processing. Just reach out, and we'll guide you.

8. How Long We Keep Your Data

  • Active Accounts: We keep your data, including your most recent location (normal users) or one-time store location (shop owners), as long as you use Locae to provide the app's features.
  • Deleted Accounts: If you request account deletion by contacting us, we remove your data, including user/store profiles, location from Supabase, authentication and remaining messages/stories (for normal users) from Firebase, and media files from Wasabi, within 3 to 5 days, except where we're required to keep it (e.g., for legal reasons). AdMob data is managed by Google per their retention policies.
  • Location Data:
    • Normal Users: We store only your most recent location on Supabase. When you share a new location, it replaces the previous one. If you delete your location data, it's removed immediately.
    • Shop Owners: We store your one-time store location on Supabase. You can update it anytime, and it's removed within 3 to 5 days upon request.
  • Messages and Stories (Normal Users): After a message is read, the previous message is deleted from our Firebase database immediately but may remain stored locally on both users' devices (sender and receiver). Chat and story media files (e.g., images, videos) are deleted from Wasabi within 7 days. Entire conversations you delete in the app are removed from Firebase immediately.
  • Inactive Accounts: If you don't use Locae for 12 months, we may delete your account and data to keep things tidy.

9. Contact Us

Have questions, concerns, or need to delete your data? We're here for you!

  • Email: support@locae.in
  • Response Time: We'll get back to you within 5 business days.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect new features or legal requirements. If we make big changes (like collecting new types of data), we'll notify you through the app or by email. Check back here for the latest version, marked by the "Last Updated" date.

11. Compliance with Laws

Locae complies with Google Play's Developer Program Policies, including data safety requirements. This policy is designed to comply with applicable data protection laws, including but not limited to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States, where applicable.

Thank you for choosing Locae! We're excited to help you connect with people, share stories, and discover local stores in a safe and private way. If anything in this policy isn't clear, just reach out—we're happy to explain.