Locale Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to the Locale mobile application (the “App”), operated by SwiftMuse (a trading name of QPOI Limited) (“we”, “us”, “our”).

1) Summary

Locale processes personal data including account information, location data (including background location where enabled), user-generated content, photos, analytics data, and advertising-related data to provide core functionality, display advertisements, maintain data accuracy, and improve reliability.

We do not sell personal data.

2) Data we collect

We collect data in the following categories:

A. Account & profile information

• Email address (used to create and secure your account)
• Authentication data (e.g., sign-in events, security tokens)
• Optional profile info you choose to add (e.g., display name, avatar image)

B. Location information

Locale uses location data to support core features such as:

• Showing nearby venues on the map
• Verifying proximity for check-ins and contributions
• Supporting location-based activity and update signals

Depending on your permissions, Locale may access:

• Location while the App is in use
• Location in the background, to support features such as time- and location-sensitive venue activity or contribution verification

Background location is not used for advertising or continuous tracking. You can control location permissions at any time in your device settings.

C. User-generated content (UGC)

Depending on features you use, you may provide:

• Venue updates (e.g., venue details, opening times where applicable)
• Menu items, prices, availability/status, and other venue information
• Check-ins or venue activity signals
• Photos (e.g., venue photos, profile photo)

D. Communications

If you contact support, we receive the contents of your message and any information you choose to provide (such as screenshots).

E. Diagnostics and device information

To maintain App performance and security, we may collect:

• Crash logs and performance diagnostics
• Device and app metadata (e.g., device type, OS version, app version)
• Basic security and anti-abuse signals

3) How we use your data

We use the data described above to:

• Provide core App functionality (maps, venue discovery, contributions)
• Maintain accuracy and freshness of venue information
• Prevent abuse, fraud, and spam (e.g., geo-fencing/time-fencing check-ins)
• Moderate content (especially images) to keep the platform safe
• Send notifications if you opt in (e.g., updates, activity, or tasks)
• Provide customer support and respond to requests
• Improve reliability and performance (crash fixes, debugging)
• Display advertisements

4) Content visibility (public contributions)

Locale is community-driven. Some information you submit may be visible to other users, such as:

• Venue/menu/price updates you contribute
• Venue photos you upload

We may show a contributor name (such as your display name) alongside contributions, or we may display contributions without identifying you, depending on the feature and your settings. We do not display your email address publicly.

5) Photo moderation

If you upload photos, we may automatically scan images to detect inappropriate content. This may involve sending images to third-party moderation services provided by Google (for example, safety classification). Photos that violate our guidelines may be rejected or removed.

6) Sharing and third parties

Locale uses the following third-party services:

• Google Firebase Analytics for app usage analytics and diagnostics
• Google AdMob to display advertisements
• Google for automated image safety and moderation
• Supabase for authentication, database, and file storage

These providers may process data in accordance with their own privacy policies.

We may also share data when required by law, to protect rights and safety, or to enforce policies.

7) Advertising and tracking

Locale displays advertisements within the App using third-party advertising services.

These services may use information such as:

• Device identifiers
• App usage data
• Approximate location (such as city or region)
• Interaction with ads

This information may be used to:

• Measure ad performance
• Limit repetitive ads
• Deliver personalised or interest-based advertising

Where required by platform rules (such as on iOS), Locale will request your permission before enabling tracking used for personalised advertising. You can choose whether to allow or decline this permission.

8) App Tracking Transparency (iOS)

On iOS devices, Locale may request permission to track your activity across apps and websites owned by other companies for advertising purposes.

If you choose “Ask App Not To Track”, personalised advertising will be limited, but ads may still be shown.

9) Data retention

We keep data only as long as necessary to operate Locale:

• Account data is retained until you delete your account (or as needed for security/legal obligations). If you wish to delete your account, please visit our deletion request page.
• User-generated contributions may be retained to preserve the integrity of venue information. If you delete your account, we will either delete or anonymise your past contributions where feasible (for example, removing your profile association while keeping the factual venue update).
• Photos: if you remove/replace a profile image, we aim to delete the previous file from storage. Venue photos may be retained until removed by you (where supported) or by moderation.
• Backups and logs may persist for a limited period for operational integrity and security.

10) Your rights and choices (UK/EU)

If you are in the UK/EU, you may have rights to:

• Access your personal data
• Request correction
• Request deletion
• Object to or restrict processing in certain circumstances
• Data portability (where applicable)

You can also:

• Control location permissions in your device settings
• Opt in/out of notifications in device settings

To make a request, contact us (see Section 13).

11) Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to prevent unauthorised access, misuse, or loss.

12) Children

Locale is not intended for children. If you believe a child has provided personal data, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to remove it.

13) Contact

For privacy questions, contact: support@swiftmuse.io

14) Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as Locale evolves. If changes are material, we will take reasonable steps to notify you (for example, via an in-app notice). The “Effective date” above will reflect the latest version.