TrailMates — Privacy Policy

1 Introduction

Dragon Sphere LLC ("we," "us," or "our") operates the TrailMates mobile application. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use TrailMates. By using the App you agree to this Privacy Policy.

2 Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:

Full name and email address when creating an account
Profile photo if you choose to upload one
Bio, experience level, and profile information
Event details you create including location, date, and description
Photos you upload to events
Messages you send in event and group chats
Trail condition reports including location and notes
Friend connections and group memberships

Information collected automatically:

Device location (GPS coordinates) when you use the map, create events, or report trail conditions — only collected with your permission
Device type, operating system, and app version for app performance
IP address at account creation and during key account events (such as agreement to Terms)
App usage data including screens viewed and features used

Agreement data we collect at signup and on Terms updates:

Which version of our Terms & Conditions, Community Guidelines, and Safety Guidelines you agreed to
The date and time of your agreement
Your device platform and app version at the time of agreement

Information from third parties:

Authentication data from Supabase Auth when you sign in

3 How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Create and manage your account
Display your profile to other users
Show events near your location
Enable communication between users
Send push notifications about events and friend requests
Improve the App and fix bugs
Enforce our Terms & Conditions and community guidelines
Respond to reports of inappropriate behavior
Maintain a secure archive of account data for safety and legal compliance purposes as described in Section 9
Cooperate with law enforcement investigations involving user safety
Prevent banned or suspended users from creating new accounts

4 Location Data

TrailMates collects your GPS location to show nearby events, calculate distances, and enable trail condition reports. Location is only collected when the App is in use and only with your explicit permission. You can revoke location permission at any time in your iPhone or Android Settings. Disabling location will limit your ability to use distance-based features.

5 How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We share information only in these limited circumstances:

With other users:
Your name, profile photo, experience level, events, and public activity are visible to other TrailMates users as part of the social features of the App.

With service providers:
We use the following third-party services to operate the App:

Supabase (supabase.com) — database, authentication, and file storage. Data is stored on secure AWS servers
OneSignal (onesignal.com) — push notification delivery
Mapbox (mapbox.com) — map display and location search
Expo / EAS (expo.dev) — app building and delivery

For legal reasons:
We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users or the public.

6 Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored securely on Supabase servers hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS). We implement row-level security policies to ensure users can only access data they are authorized to view. Passwords are encrypted and never stored in plain text. However no system is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

7 Photos and User Content

Photos you upload to events or your profile are stored in Supabase Storage and are accessible to other TrailMates users. Do not upload photos containing sensitive personal information. You can delete your photos at any time from within the App.

8 Push Notifications

We send push notifications for event reminders, friend requests, and app updates using OneSignal. You can disable push notifications at any time in your iPhone or Android Settings or from the Profile screen within the App.

9 Data Retention and Post-Deletion Archive

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active.

⚠️Deleting your account does not result in immediate permanent erasure of all data. Please read this section carefully before submitting a deletion request.

What happens when you delete your account:

When you delete your TrailMates account, your public profile, bio, photos, and content are immediately removed from the App and are no longer visible to other users. Your account will no longer be accessible.

What we retain after deletion — and why:

Dragon Sphere LLC retains certain account-related data in a secure, access-restricted archive for up to seven (7) years following the date of account deletion. This archived data is never visible to other users and is used solely for the following legitimate purposes:

User safety and crime prevention: TrailMates connects strangers for in-person outdoor activities. Incidents of assault, sexual assault, harassment, stalking, or other harmful conduct may be reported days, weeks, or months after an account is deleted. Retained data allows us to cooperate with law enforcement investigations and protect other users from repeat offenders who create new accounts.
Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, subpoenas, and valid law enforcement requests — including requests that arrive after an account deletion date.
Fraud and ban evasion prevention: To identify and prevent users who have been banned or suspended from creating new accounts on the platform.
Dispute resolution and legal defense: To resolve disputes, enforce our Terms & Conditions, and defend Dragon Sphere LLC against legal claims.
Evidence preservation: To preserve evidence relevant to potential, pending, or ongoing legal proceedings.

Specific data retained after deletion:

Email address and account identifiers
IP address(es) associated with account activity
Device identifiers and platform information
Agreement history — which version of our Terms & Conditions, Community Guidelines, and Safety Guidelines you agreed to and when
Account activity summary (events created, events joined)
Reports filed by or against your account, and any prior suspensions or bans
The reason you provided for account deletion
Date and time of the deletion request

What is NOT retained after deletion:

Photos and media you uploaded
Private messages (unless subject to an active legal hold)
Your public profile content and bio
Your GPS location history

California Residents — CCPA and Right to Delete: The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants California residents the right to request deletion of their personal information. However, the CCPA expressly permits businesses to retain personal information notwithstanding a deletion request when retention is necessary for specific enumerated purposes, including:

Detecting security incidents and protecting against malicious or illegal activity (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.105(d)(2))
Complying with a legal obligation (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.105(d)(8))
Enabling solely internal uses reasonably aligned with consumer expectations based on the consumer's relationship with the business

Our post-deletion data retention falls within these permitted exceptions. Retained data is never used for marketing, advertising, profiling, or any commercial purpose. It is held solely in a secure, access-restricted archive for the safety and legal compliance purposes described above.

After the seven (7) year retention period expires — or earlier if no legitimate purpose remains — your archived data will be permanently and irreversibly deleted, unless we are required by law to retain it for a longer period or it is subject to an active legal hold.

To ask questions about our data retention practices, contact us at support@trailmatesapp.com.

10 Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access your personal data by viewing your profile in the App
Correct your information by editing your profile
Delete your account and associated data from the Profile settings screen
Export your data by contacting us at support@trailmatesapp.com
Opt out of push notifications at any time in device Settings

🌴 California Residents (CCPA): You have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising these rights. To make a CCPA request contact us at support@trailmatesapp.com.

11 Children's Privacy

TrailMates is not intended for users under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we become aware that a user is under 18 we will delete their account immediately.

12 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes through the App. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13 Contact Us

Dragon Sphere LLC

support@trailmatesapp.com

State of California