Intro About This Policy

Welcome to Hidden Gems, a travel discovery app developed by EscapeXpress. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use the Hidden Gems mobile application.

By using Hidden Gems, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. We take your privacy seriously and are committed to protecting your personal data.

1 Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• Account Information — Your name and email address when you create an account using Firebase Authentication.
• Gem Submissions — Location names, descriptions, categories, and GPS coordinates you voluntarily submit when adding hidden gems.
• Location Data — GPS coordinates when you choose to use the “Use My Location” feature to pin a gem. This is optional and only used when you actively tap the button.
• Usage Data — Basic app usage information collected by Firebase Analytics to help us improve the app (e.g. which screens are visited).
• Device Information — Basic device information such as operating system version, collected automatically by Firebase.

2 How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your user account
• Display hidden gems you submit on the app’s discover feed and map
• Associate submitted gems with your contributor name
• Improve app performance and fix bugs
• Provide location-based features when you opt in
• Send important app updates (no marketing emails)

3 Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored securely using Google Firebase, which provides industry-standard security including:

• Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS)
• Secure cloud storage via Google Cloud Firestore
• Firebase Authentication for secure login
• Access controls limiting who can read and write data

While we take reasonable precautions to protect your data, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information.

4 Location Data

Hidden Gems requests access to your device’s location only when you actively use the “Use My Location” feature in the Add Gem screen.

• Location access is optional — you can pin locations manually without enabling it
• We do not track your location in the background
• Location data is only used to set GPS coordinates for gems you choose to submit
• You can revoke location permission at any time in your device settings

5 Third-Party Services

Hidden Gems uses the following third-party services, each with their own Privacy Policy:

• Google Firebase — Authentication, database, and analytics. firebase.google.com/support/privacy
• OpenStreetMap — Map tiles for the gem map. osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy
• Google Maps — Navigation directions when tapping “Navigate”. policies.google.com/privacy

6 User-Generated Content

When you submit a hidden gem, the following information becomes publicly visible to all app users:

• Gem title, description, category, and location name
• GPS coordinates (used to display the pin on the map)
• Your display name as the contributor

Please do not submit any sensitive personal information in gem descriptions. You can edit or delete your submitted gems at any time from your Profile screen.

7 Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access — View the personal data we hold about you
• Edit — Update your display name via your account
• Delete — Delete your gems from the Profile screen, or request account deletion by contacting us
• Withdraw consent — Stop using the app and request data deletion at any time

8 Children’s Privacy

Hidden Gems is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately and we will delete it.

9 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

Continued use of the app after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.