Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to TripPlanner. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our mobile application.

TripPlanner is a trip planning application that helps you organize your travels, manage itineraries, and collaborate with friends. We only collect the minimum data necessary to provide you with these services.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address: Used for authentication and account recovery
• Password: Securely encrypted and stored through Firebase Authentication
• Display name: Optional, for personalization within the app

Trip Data

To provide our trip planning services, we store:

• Trip information: Names, dates, descriptions, and budgets for your trips
• Stop details: Locations, times, costs, notes, and other information about places you add to your trips
• Location data: Place names and coordinates you add to your itinerary
• Photos and attachments: Any images or files you upload to your trips

Location Information

We request access to your device location to help you find nearby places and add them to your trip. Location data is only used when you actively search for places and is not continuously tracked or stored.

Usage Data

We may automatically collect:

• Device information (model, operating system version)
• App usage statistics (features used, crash reports)
• Error logs for troubleshooting purposes

How We Use Your Information

We use your information solely to:

• Provide our services: Create and manage your trips, stops, and itineraries
• Enable collaboration: Share trips with friends you explicitly invite
• Improve the app: Fix bugs, improve performance, and add new features
• Communicate with you: Send important updates about your account or the service
• Provide support: Respond to your questions and help requests

We do not:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Use your data for advertising purposes
• Share your trips or personal information without your explicit consent
• Track your location continuously

Data Sharing and Disclosure

Collaborative Features

When you share a trip with friends, they can view and edit that trip's information. You have full control over who can access your trips and can revoke access at any time.

Service Providers

We use trusted third-party services to operate our app:

• Firebase (Google): Authentication, database, and hosting services
• Google Maps API: Location search and map display

These services have their own privacy policies and we only share the minimum necessary data to provide functionality.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of TripPlanner, our users, or the public.

Data Security

We take the security of your data seriously and implement industry-standard security measures:

• Encryption: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS
• Secure authentication: Passwords are securely hashed and never stored in plain text
• Firebase Security Rules: Database access is restricted to authenticated users and their authorized content
• Regular updates: We keep our systems and dependencies up to date with security patches

While we strive to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but continuously work to improve our protection measures.

Your Rights and Choices

Access and Control

You have the right to:

• Access your data: View all your trips, stops, and account information within the app
• Edit your data: Modify or delete any trip, stop, or personal information at any time
• Export your data: Contact us to request a copy of your data
• Delete your account: Permanently delete your account and all associated data from the Profile tab

Location Permissions

You can control location access through your device settings. Disabling location access will limit some features (like searching for nearby places) but won't affect your ability to manually add stops.

Marketing Communications

We do not send marketing emails. Any communications from us will be service-related (account notifications, security alerts, or support responses).

Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. When you delete your account:

• All your trips, stops, and personal data are permanently deleted from our systems
• You will be removed from any shared trips
• Anonymous usage statistics may be retained for analytical purposes

Trips you've shared with others will remain accessible to those users unless they also delete them.

Children's Privacy

TripPlanner is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

International Data Transfers

Your data is stored on Firebase servers, which may be located in various countries. By using TripPlanner, you consent to the transfer of your information to these locations. We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with this privacy policy.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will notify you through the app or by email. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised.

Your continued use of TripPlanner after changes are made constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Third-Party Services

Our app uses the following third-party services:

Your California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights regarding your personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• The right to know what personal information we collect and how it's used
• The right to delete your personal information
• The right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we don't sell your data)
• The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, please contact us at the email address above.

GDPR Compliance (European Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing: Limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object: Object to processing of your data in certain circumstances

To exercise these rights, please contact us at trippplannerapp.help@gmail.com