Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 1, 2025

1. Introduction

At Locoround, 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 location-based social platform.

By using Locoround, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with the practices described in this policy, please do not use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

When you create an account, we collect:

Full name and username
Email address
Password (encrypted and hashed)
Profile picture (optional)
Account preferences and settings

2.2 Location Information

To provide location-based services, we collect:

Current GPS coordinates when you use the app
Location data associated with your handbills
Address information you provide
Location preferences and radius settings

2.3 Content Information

When you use our platform, we collect:

Handbill content (text, images, and media files)
Comments and interactions with other users' content
Pinned comments and preferences
Search queries and search history
Handbill interaction data (views, comments, shares)

2.4 Technical Information

We automatically collect certain technical information:

Device information (type, operating system, browser)
IP address and network information
App usage analytics and performance data
Log files and error reports
Cookies and similar tracking technologies

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Provision

Create and manage your user account
Display location-relevant handbills and content
Enable posting, commenting, and social interactions
Provide AI-powered search functionality
Process and display multimedia content

3.2 Communication

Send account verification emails
Provide customer support and respond to inquiries
Send important service updates and notifications
Communicate about policy changes

3.3 Improvement and Analytics

Analyze usage patterns to improve our services
Enhance AI search algorithms and recommendations
Debug technical issues and optimize performance
Conduct research and development

3.4 Safety and Security

Monitor for suspicious or harmful activities
Enforce our Terms of Service and community guidelines
Prevent fraud, spam, and abuse
Protect the rights and safety of our users

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 Public Information

By design, certain information on Locoround is public, including your handbills, comments, username, and profile information. This content is visible to other users in your geographic area and may be discoverable through search.

4.2 Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who help us operate our platform, including cloud storage providers, analytics services, and customer support tools. These providers are bound by confidentiality agreements.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government request, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users or the public.

4.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control.

5. Location Data Privacy

5.1 Location Collection

We collect location data only when you use location-based features. You can control location sharing through your device settings, though this may limit some functionality.

5.2 Location Usage

Location data is used to show relevant local content, associate your posts with geographic areas, and provide mapping services. We do not track your location when the app is not in use.

5.3 Location Sharing

Location information attached to your handbills is visible to other users. We do not share precise location data with third parties except as necessary for map services.

6. AI Training and Data Processing

Important Notice

By using Locoround, you acknowledge and agree that your user-generated content, including but not limited to handbills, captions, comments, and media, may be:

Used to train artificial intelligence models
Stored in third-party vector databases (such as Pinecone)
Processed for machine learning purposes
Analyzed for pattern recognition and content recommendations

6.1 AI-Powered Features

We use artificial intelligence to enhance search functionality and content discovery. This includes processing text and images to understand content and provide relevant search results.

6.2 How We Use Your Data for AI

Content embeddings generation for similarity matching
Improving our recommendation algorithms
Training language models for better content understanding
Enhancing location-based services and predictions
Developing new features based on usage patterns

6.3 Third-Party Storage

We use various third-party services to store and process your data:

Supabase: Primary database for user accounts and structured data
Vector Databases (e.g., Pinecone): Storage of content embeddings for AI processing
AWS S3: Media file storage (images and videos)
Machine Learning Platforms: Data processing for AI model training

Note: Due to the nature of AI training, we cannot remove your data from models that have already been trained. Opting out will only prevent future use of your data for training purposes.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

Our security measures include:

Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Secure authentication and password hashing
Regular security audits and monitoring
Access controls and staff training
Secure cloud infrastructure and backups

8. Data Retention

8.1 Account Data

We retain your account information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. You may request account deletion at any time.

8.2 Content Data

Handbills are retained according to their specified duration settings. Comments and interactions are retained for the lifetime of the associated handbill.

8.3 Technical Data

Log files and analytics data are retained for operational purposes and are automatically deleted after a reasonable period.

9. Your Rights and Choices

9.1 Access and Control

You have the right to access, update, or delete your personal information. You can manage most of your information through your account settings.

9.2 Location Controls

You can control location sharing through your device settings and within the app. You can also set your preferred radius for discovering local content.

9.3 Communication Preferences

You can opt out of non-essential communications through your account settings. Essential service communications cannot be disabled.

9.4 Account Deletion

You may request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting our support team. Some information may be retained for legal or operational purposes.

10. Children's Privacy

Locoround 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, we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We ensure that such transfers comply with applicable data protection laws and implement appropriate safeguards.

12. Third-Party Links

Our service may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

14. Contact Us

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

Locoround Support

Email: contact@locoround.com

By using Locoround, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy.