PRIVACY POLICY

1. Information We Collect

Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your email address and any profile information you choose to provide, including username, profile photo, bio, social media links (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitch), and website URL.

Sighting Data: When you log a train sighting, we collect the railroad, locomotive number, train symbol, description, direction of travel, photos, YouTube video links, and location data (GPS coordinates and optional location name).

Trackside Content: When you post to Trackside, we collect your post content (title, body, links, images), post type, tags, and associated metadata.

Gallery Photos: When you upload photos to the gallery, we collect the image, associated metadata (camera info, EXIF data if present), and descriptive information you provide.

Location Data: We collect your location only when you explicitly choose to share it, either by tapping "Use My Location" or by setting a home location in your profile. We do not track your location in the background. If you enable precise location notifications, your device location is updated when you open the app.

Engagement Data: We collect data about how you interact with content, including views, likes, comments, follows, and external link clicks. This data is used to improve the Service and may be used to personalize your experience.

Usage Data: We collect anonymous page view data, session identifiers, and device information to understand how the app and website are used. We use Firebase Analytics for this purpose.

Creator Applications: If you apply to the Creator Program, we collect the social media URLs and any additional information you provide in your application.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To provide and maintain the TrainTracker service
• To display your train sightings on the community map
• To show you nearby sightings based on your home or device location
• To authenticate your account via email magic links
• To display your content on Trackside, the gallery, and your public profile
• To send push notifications based on your preferences
• To moderate content and respond to flagged or reported items
• To improve the app and website experience
• To personalize content recommendations and feeds
• To process creator program applications
• To track engagement metrics (views, likes, comments) on content
• To communicate with you about your account, the Service, or marketing (with your consent)

3. Information Sharing

Your train sightings, Trackside posts, gallery photos, comments, username, and profile photo are publicly visible to all TrainTracker users. Your email address is never shared publicly. We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. Engagement metrics (view counts, like counts, comment counts) on content are publicly visible.

4. Data Storage & Retention

Your data is stored securely using Supabase (hosted on AWS). Photos are stored in Supabase Storage. All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections. When you deactivate your account, your data is retained but your profile is hidden and access is disabled. To request complete deletion of your personal data, contact us at privacy@traintrackerapp.com.

5. Your Rights

You can view, edit, or remove your sightings at any time from your profile. You can update your profile information at any time. You can deactivate your account through the app settings. To request complete deletion of all your personal data from our systems, contact us at privacy@traintrackerapp.com.

6. Push Notifications

With your permission, we send push notifications for nearby sightings, likes, comments, giveaway updates, and Trackside content. You can customize notification preferences in the app settings or disable them entirely through your device settings.

7. Third-Party Services

• Supabase: Authentication and database hosting
• Mapbox: Map display on the website and mobile apps
• Vercel: Website hosting
• Firebase: Push notifications and analytics
• Google Cloud Vision: Image moderation
• Resend: Transactional email delivery
• Google AdSense: Advertising (see below)

8. Advertising

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on TrainTracker. Google AdSense may use cookies and similar technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to TrainTracker and/or other sites on the Internet.

You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can opt out of third-party vendor cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.

Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your browsing history. We do not control the cookies placed by advertisers. For more information about how Google uses data, visit Google's Privacy & Terms.

9. Children's Privacy

TrainTracker is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Material changes will be communicated via email or in-app notification.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at:
privacy@traintrackerapp.com