Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

2. How We Use Your Information

• Account Management: Email or phone number for account identification. Password authentication is handled by Firebase Auth.
• Nearby Discovery: GPS location and user preferences (age range, distance, and interests) to discover nearby users.
• Profile Display: Name, age, gender, photos, bio, interests, occupation, education, company, location, social media links, mutual friends, Pro badge (if applicable), and activity status shown on user profiles.
• Messaging: User ID, message content, timestamps, and media files (including images, videos, and voice recordings).
• Smart Recommendations: We use your profile data (interests, age, last known location, and profile completeness) to calculate connection recommendation scores using a weighted matching algorithm.
• Analytics: We use friend requests received, profile views, and connection data to display your personal statistics, including connection success rate, average connection distance, network growth, demographic breakdowns, and peak activity times. Profile viewer data is cleared after 60 minutes.
• Customer Support: Use the in-app Report a Problem system or Contact Us, and the content of your support inquiries.
• Service Improvement: Crash reports and error diagnostics collected via Sentry.

3. How We Share Your Information

4. Location Data & Privacy

Important: LinkNow requires location access to function. Here's how we handle your location:

• Location Data: We collect your GPS coordinates only when location services are enabled.
• Privacy Control: You can disable location sharing at any time using the in-app toggle in Settings, or by revoking location permission in your device settings.
• Data Display: Other users see your approximate distance as a range (e.g., "Under 500 ft", "Under 1 mi"), never your exact coordinates.
• Auto-Hide: Set a timer (15 min – 8 hr) to automatically hide your profile after a set period.
• Retention: Location history is not stored long-term; only the last updated location is kept.
• When Collected: Location data is collected when you enable location sharing. With "While Using the App" permission, location is collected only when the app is open. With "Always" permission, location may also be updated in the background.

5. Data Retention

6. User Rights and Controls

7. Security Measures

We take data security seriously and implement:

• Encryption: All data transmitted between the app and our servers is encrypted in transit via HTTPS/TLS, enforced by our cloud infrastructure (Google Firebase). Data stored on servers is encrypted at rest using AES‑256 encryption.
• Password Security: Passwords are securely managed by Firebase Authentication, which hashes them using industry‑standard algorithms on Google's servers. Passwords are never stored in plaintext.
• Authentication: Secure token‑based authentication using JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) managed by Firebase Authentication with local persistence on the device. Sessions persist until the user explicitly logs out. Rate limiting prevents brute‑force attacks, with temporary account locks after multiple failed attempts.
• Phone Verification: SMS‑based phone number verification during account registration. Logging out securely clears all locally stored data, terminates your Firebase session, and stops background services such as location tracking.
• Access Controls: Firebase Security Rules enforce authentication‑based access control. Users can only modify their own data; admin‑level privileges exist for moderation. Our cloud infrastructure (Google Firebase) complies with SOC 2 and ISO 27001 security standards.
• Account Protection: Banned accounts are blocked from logging in and filtered from all app features. Suspended accounts receive real‑time enforcement with in‑app restrictions.

7.1 Moderation & Reported Content

To maintain a safe and respectful community, LinkNow reserves the right to access and review content when accounts or content are reported. This access is necessary to enforce our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service and to ensure user safety.

• Report Review: When a user reports an account, message, or event for violations of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, our moderation team may access chat messages, profile information, media, and other related conversation history to investigate the report.
• Safety Priority: This access is strictly limited to investigating reports of harassment, threats, spam, impersonation, explicit content, illegal activity, or other policy violations.
• Limited Scope: Only authorized moderators have access to reported content. All access is logged and audited. We do not proactively monitor or read private messages for advertising, analytics, or content recommendations.
• Privacy Respect: We only review content directly related to the report and related conversation history. We do not access unrelated private conversations.
• Content Removal: Violating content is removed immediately upon confirmation of violation.
• Data Retention: Reported content is retained for up to 1 year for safety and legal compliance, then automatically deleted (see Section 5.2).
• Enforcement Actions: After investigation, appropriate action is taken including warnings, temporary suspensions, or permanent bans depending on the severity of the violation. Submitting false or malicious reports may also result in action against the reporting account (see Terms Section 9).

By using LinkNow, you acknowledge and consent to this access when necessary to enforce our policies and protect our community.

8. Children's Privacy

• Age Restriction: LinkNow is only for users 18 years and older. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.
• Account Termination: If we discover a user is under 18, we will immediately terminate their account and delete all associated data.
• Parents who discover their child has created an account must delete it immediately.
• Age Verification: We verify age during signup through birthday validation and may request additional verification if needed.
• COPPA Compliance: We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and do not target or market to minors.

9. International Users & Data Transfers

• Data Location: Your data is stored on servers in the United States operated by Google Firebase.
• International Transfers: By using LinkNow, you consent to data transfer to the US, which may have different data protection laws than your jurisdiction.
• EU Users: We comply with GDPR requirements for EU data subjects. Data transferred outside the EU/EEA is protected by Standard Contractual Clauses.
• Legal Basis: International transfers are necessary for the performance of our contract with you and to provide the Service.
• California Users: See Section 11 for CCPA rights.

10. Cookies and Tracking

• Device storage (no browser cookies): the app uses on‑device storage (React Native AsyncStorage) to persist login state, UI preferences, onboarding progress and short‑lived rate‑limit counters.
• Crash reporting: we use Sentry for error/crash reports; Sentry may receive error details and user context (user ID/email) to help diagnose issues.
• In‑app statistics (first‑party): product metrics you see in the app (profile views, connection stats, network growth) are stored in our database (Firebase Database) and are not shared with advertising partners.
• No third‑party advertising/tracking: we do not include AdMob, Meta/Facebook ads, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Segment, or tracking pixels. (Firebase Analytics is present in configuration but is not initialized or used by the app.)
• Local Control: You can clear on-device data by logging out or uninstalling the app. To delete server-side data and your account completely, use Settings → Personal Details → Delete Account.

11. Apple Tracking & Privacy

12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have the following rights:

• Know — request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we collect.
• Delete — request deletion of personal information we maintain about you.
• Opt‑Out of sale — you may opt out of the sale of personal information; we do not sell personal information.
• Non‑Discrimination — you will not be discriminated against for exercising these rights.

13. Changes to Privacy Policy

• We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time
• We will notify you of material changes via in-app notification before they take effect
• Changes take effect 30 days after notification
• Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance
• Review this policy periodically for updates

14. Third-Party Services

LinkNow integrates with:

• Twilio: SMS verification — used to send phone verification codes during account registration and phone number changes (see Twilio Privacy)
• Zoho: Email services (see Zoho Privacy)
• Google Cloud (Firebase): Authentication, real-time database, cloud storage, and server-side functions (see Google Privacy)
• Sentry: Crash reporting and error logging (see Sentry Privacy)
• Expo: Push notification delivery and app update services (see Expo Privacy)

15. Contact Us & Data Requests

For privacy-related questions, data requests, or to exercise your rights:

• Email: support@linknowapp.com or Contact us
• Subject Line: "Privacy Request" or "Data Access Request"
• In‑App: Settings → Help & Support → Contact Support
• Response Time: We will respond within 4-5 business days

16. Data Processing Lawful Basis (GDPR)

We process your data based on:

• Consent: For optional processing such as background location access ("Always" permission) and push notifications, where you provide explicit consent through device-level permission prompts.
• Contract Performance: Processing necessary to provide the Service
• Legitimate Interests: Improving service, preventing fraud, ensuring safety
• Legal Obligation: Compliance with applicable laws and regulations