Introduction
VicBUG ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and website.
By using VicBUG, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.
Information We Collect
Contact Information
- Name: We collect your first and last name to display on your profile and leaderboards so other cyclists can recognize you.
- Email Address: Used for account creation, authentication, password recovery, and important service communications.
Location Data
- Precise Location: We collect your precise location to provide turn-by-turn navigation, display your position on maps, track route coverage, and enable location-based features like nearby hazards and collectible points of interest.
- Location data is only collected when you use navigation features or when tracking routes.
User Content
- Photos or Videos: When you report hazards, you may optionally upload photos to help other cyclists identify the issue.
- Other User Content: This includes hazard reports, star ratings, route data, and feedback you provide within the app.
Identifiers
- User ID: A unique identifier (Firebase UID) is assigned to your account for authentication and linking your data (routes, achievements, etc.).
Usage Data
- Product Interaction: We collect analytics about which features you use to improve the app experience and understand user needs.
Diagnostics
- Crash Data: Anonymized crash reports help us identify and fix bugs to improve app stability.
- Performance Data: We monitor app performance metrics (load times, network requests) to optimize speed and responsiveness.
How We Use Your Information
We use the collected information for:
- App Functionality: Providing navigation, route planning, hazard reporting, achievement tracking, and all core features.
- Analytics: Understanding how users interact with the app to prioritize improvements and new features.
- Account Management: Creating and maintaining your account, authentication, and profile.
- Safety: Displaying community-reported hazards to keep cyclists informed of road conditions.
- Community Features: Showing your progress on leaderboards and enabling social aspects of the app.
- Technical Support: Debugging issues, responding to support requests, and improving app stability.
Data Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:
- Public Information: Your display name, profile photo, and route coverage appear on public leaderboards. Hazard reports you submit are visible to all app users.
- Service Providers: We use Firebase (Google) for authentication, database, analytics, and crash reporting. These services operate under their own privacy policies.
- Strava Integration: If you connect your Strava account, we access your activity data according to Strava's authorization and privacy policies.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights, property, or safety of VicBUG, our users, or others.
Third-Party Services
VicBUG uses the following third-party services:
- Firebase (Google): Authentication, database, analytics, performance monitoring, crash reporting
- Strava: Optional integration to sync your cycling activities
- MapLibre: Open-source map rendering
- GraphHopper: Routing and navigation engine
These services have their own privacy policies governing their collection and use of data.
Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. If you delete your account:
- Your account data, routes, and personal information will be permanently deleted from our systems.
- Public contributions (like hazard reports) may be retained in anonymized form to maintain community safety data.
- Analytics and diagnostic data are automatically anonymized and not tied to your deleted account.
Your Rights and Choices
You have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: You can view and edit your profile information in the app settings.
- Deletion: You can delete your account at any time from the app settings, which will permanently remove your personal data.
- Location Control: You can disable location access in your device settings, though this will limit navigation and tracking features.
- Marketing: We do not send marketing emails. All communications are service-related.
- Strava Disconnect: You can disconnect your Strava integration at any time from app settings.
Children's Privacy
VicBUG is rated for users 13 years and older due to user-generated content (hazard reports with community ratings). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.
Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information, including:
- Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS)
- Firebase security rules to control data access
- Secure authentication with industry-standard practices
- Regular security reviews and updates
However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of VicBUG after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us through our website:
Open Source and Transparency
VicBUG is committed to transparency. Our infrastructure data and algorithms are documented publicly. We believe cyclists deserve to know exactly how their data is used and how routing decisions are made.