Hey There Neighbor Privacy Policy

Welcome to Hey There Neighbor ("we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our mobile application Hey There Neighbor (the "App"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about our data practices.

By using Hey There, Neighbor, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

When you create an account and use Hey There Neighbor, we collect the following information:

Profile Information:

Name
Email address
Gender (optional)
Date of birth
Bio
Profile photo
Interests

Location Information:

Location (neighborhood/city level)

Availability Information:

Your preferred meeting times and days

Social Interaction Data:

Messages you send through our chat feature
Events you create or join
Match preferences and responses
Chat completion history

Information We Collect Automatically

Usage Analytics:

App interactions and button clicks
Screen views and navigation patterns
Feature usage statistics

Device Information:

Device notifications token (for push notifications)

Firebase Services Data:

Authentication tokens
Cloud messaging tokens
Performance monitoring data
Analytics data processed through Firebase

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

Core App Functionality

Matching: Connect you with compatible neighbors based on location, interests, and availability
Communication: Enable messaging between matched users
Event Management: Allow you to create, join, and manage neighborhood events
Profile Management: Maintain and display your profile information

App Improvement

Analytics: Understand how users interact with our app to improve features
Performance: Monitor app performance and fix technical issues
User Experience: Enhance the overall user experience based on usage patterns

Communication

Notifications: Send push notifications about matches, messages, and events
Support: Respond to your questions and provide customer support

Information Sharing and Disclosure

Within the App

Profile Information: Your name, photo, bio, interests, and neighborhood are visible to other users for matching purposes
Events: Information about events you create or join is visible to other participants
Messages: Chat messages are only visible to you and the recipients

We Do NOT Share Your Information With:

Third-party advertising companies
Data brokers or marketing companies
Social media platforms
Any entity for commercial purposes outside of app functionality

Limited Sharing

We may share information only in these specific circumstances:

Service Providers:

Firebase (Google) for authentication, database, analytics, push notifications, photo storage
Apple App Store for app distribution

Legal Requirements:

When required by law, court order, or legal process
To protect our rights, safety, or property
To protect users from fraud or illegal activity

Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal information:

Technical Safeguards:

Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Secure authentication through Firebase Auth
Regular security updates and patches
Access controls and user authentication

Firebase Security:

Industry-standard security provided by Google Firebase
Firestore security rules to protect user data
Secure cloud infrastructure

Photo Storage:

Profile photos are stored securely in Firebase Storage
Images are compressed and optimized for privacy

Your Privacy Rights

Access and Control

View Your Data: Access your profile information within the app
Edit Your Information: Update your profile, interests, and availability
Delete Content: Remove events you've created

Account Management

Delete Your Account: Permanently delete your account and associated data
Data Export: Request a copy of your personal data (contact us)
Opt-out: Disable push notifications

Location Privacy

General Location Only: We show neighborhood-level location, not exact addresses
Location Control: You can update your location at any time
No Tracking: We don't track your real-time location or movement

Data Retention

Active Accounts:

Profile information is retained while your account is active
Messages are stored for chat functionality
Analytics data is retained for app improvement

Deleted Accounts:

Profile information is deleted within 30 days
Messages may be retained for other users' chat history
Analytics data is anonymized and may be retained for insights

Legal Requirements:

Some data may be retained longer if required by law
Safety-related data may be kept for user protection

Children's Privacy

Hey There Neighbor is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we discover that a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, we will delete such information immediately.

International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, including the United States where Firebase servers are located. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers.

Third-Party Services

Our app uses the following third-party services:

Firebase (Google):

Authentication
Cloud Firestore database
Cloud Storage
Analytics
Cloud Messaging
Firebase Privacy Policy

Apple Services:

App Store distribution
Push notifications (APNs)
Apple Privacy Policy

Cookies and Tracking

Hey There Neighbor does not use cookies or third-party tracking technologies for advertising purposes. We only use necessary identifiers for app functionality and Firebase services.

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 in the app
Sending a notification through the app
Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy

Your continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

Contact Us

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

Email: hey.there.neighbor.app@gmail.com

Legal Basis for Processing (EU Users)

For users in the European Union, our legal basis for processing your personal information includes:

Consent: For optional features like analytics and marketing communications
Contract Performance: For core app functionality and account management
Legitimate Interests: For app improvement, security, and user safety
Legal Obligations: For compliance with applicable laws

Your EU Rights

If you are located in the EU, you have additional rights under GDPR:

Right to access your personal data
Right to rectify inaccurate personal data
Right to erase your personal data
Right to restrict processing
Right to data portability
Right to object to processing
Right to withdraw consent

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided above.

California Privacy Rights

California residents have specific privacy rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to Know: Request information about the personal information we collect, use, and share
Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information
Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights

Compliance Statement

This Privacy Policy has been prepared to comply with:

Apple App Store Review Guidelines
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
Other applicable privacy laws