Last Updated: October 5, 2023
Introduction: Welcome to Nearthy! We take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy is designed to help you understand how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your data is handled responsibly. Please take a moment to read this Privacy Policy carefully to familiarize yourself with our practices. By using our mobile app, you consent to the terms described in this policy.
Types of Data Collected: Nearthy collects the
following types of data, which are stored locally on your device. We
do not store your data in the cloud, and we do not own your
information. The information we may request includes:
- Name (Required): We ask for your
name.
- Profile Picture (Optional): You
have the option to upload a profile picture to enhance your profile,
but this is entirely voluntary.
- Bio (Optional): You can provide a bio to share more about yourself, but it's also
optional.
- Contact Information (Only 1 required): You may choose to provide your phone number and/or Instagram
username. You can provide one or both of these, depending on your
preferences.
- Location Data (Permission Required): Nearthy may request permission to access your device's location,
but this is solely for the purpose of connecting with other devices
via Bluetooth. We do not store your location data.
How Data is Provided: Your data is provided to
Nearthy during the creation of your user profile. The details you
provide, including your name, profile picture, bio, and contact
information (phone number and/or Instagram username), are
voluntarily submitted by you when setting up your profile within the
Nearthy app.
Additionally, Nearthy may request permission to access your device's
location for specific features, such as connecting with other
devices via Bluetooth. This location data is solely used for the
intended purpose and is not retained beyond the immediate use case.
Purpose of Data Collection: Nearthy needs you to provide some information for its functionality. Nearthy can only work correctly if everybody has provided the required information. This information is essential for users to connect and interact with each other using Nearthy's nearby sharing features.
Data Usage and Sharing: Nearthy exclusively uses
your data to facilitate its core functionality, which is connecting
you with nearby individuals. Here's how data usage and sharing work:
- Service Activation: When you activate the Nearthy
service within the app, Nearthy initiates a search for nearby
individuals who have also activated the service. Only when a match
is found will your data be shared.
- Basic Information Sharing: Upon finding a match,
Nearthy shares some information with the nearby user, including your
name, profile picture and bio. Simultaneously, you receive the same
basic information from the other user and it can be seen on your
main screen.
- Request and Expanded Information Sharing: Once
this basic information is visible on your main screen, you have the
option to send or accept requests to and from other users. When a
request is accepted, both users can see each other's full profile
information, including name, profile picture (if provided), bio (if
provided), and any contact information (Instagram username and/or
phone number) the user has chosen to share. Also, Nearthy allows you
to chat with the users while they are connected.
Note: When a request is accepted and profiles are shared, the profiles
will also be saved locally on each other's devices. This can be
useful for the user and it also allows Nearthy to ignore users you
have already met so you don't get useless notifications.
Nearthy does not use your data for any purposes other than
connecting you with nearby users and enhancing your interactions
within the app. We do not share your data with third parties outside
the scope of the app's functionality.
Ad Provider Information: We utilize AdMob, a mobile advertising service provided by Google LLC, to display native ads within our app. AdMob helps us deliver relevant ads to you. For more information on how Google LLC handles user data, please review AdMob's Privacy Policy and Google's Privacy Policy.
Data Collection for Ad Targeting:
AdMob may collect certain data for ad targeting purposes, such
as:
- Demographics: AdMob may collect demographic
information, such as age, gender, and location, to deliver relevant
ads to users.
- Interests: AdMob may analyze user interests based
on their app usage and interactions to display personalized ads.
- Device Information:
Information about the user's device, such as device type, operating
system, and unique identifiers, may be collected to improve ad
targeting.
Please note that the data collected for ad
targeting is managed by AdMob, and Nearthy does not have direct
access to or control over this data collection process. You can
learn how to opt-out of Google's personalized advertising
here.
User Control: Nearthy offers you control over your
data and interactions within the app. Here's how you can manage your
information:
- Your Profile Information: Nearthy allows you to
view and edit the information of your profile.
- Data Deletion: You have full control over your
data because it is stored in your device. You have the option to
delete saved profiles individually within the app, if you delete the
profile, the chat conversation will also be deleted. You can also
delete all your information from Nearthy in the device settings.
Data Security: Nearthy prioritizes the security of
your data. We want to assure you that we take advantage of the
security measures provided by the Nearby Share functionality to
safeguard your information. Nearby Share includes robust security
features designed to protect data during sharing and interactions
within the app.
While we do not implement additional security measures beyond those
provided by Nearby Share, we want to emphasize that your data
security is of utmost importance to us. We continually monitor and
update our app to ensure it aligns with the latest security
practices and standards.
Rest assured that we are
committed to maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of your
data as you use Nearthy.
Data Retention: Nearthy retains user data to ensure
the functionality of the app. Here's how data retention works:
- Profile Information: Your profile
information, including your name, profile picture, bio, and contact
information, is stored on your device. You have the option to edit
this information from the app, or delete all your information at any
time from your app settings.
- Saved Profiles:
Profiles of other users you have interacted with and saved for
future reference will be retained on your device. You can delete
these profiles individually from inside the app.
- Chat Conversations: Chat messages and conversations are stored on your device to
facilitate ongoing interactions with other users. You can delete a
chat conversation by deleting the profile of the other user in said
conversation.
- Location Data: Nearthy
may request permission to access your device's location for
connecting with other devices via Bluetooth. Location data is not
stored beyond the immediate use case and is not retained by the
app.
Please be aware that when you choose to delete data from your device
through the app settings, it will result in the removal of all data.
Nearthy is committed to respecting your privacy, and our data
retention practices are designed to align with your preferences and
the app's functionality.
Third Party Links: Nearthy provides a feature that
allows users to directly visit an Instagram profile from a username
provided just by clicking on it. Here's what you need to know:
- Instagram Integration: When you view
a user's profile on Nearthy, you may have the option to click on
their Instagram username. Clicking on this link will take you
directly to the user's Instagram profile on the Instagram platform.
- External Platform: Instagram is a
third-party platform, and by clicking on an Instagram username
within Nearthy, you will be redirected to the Instagram platform.
Please note that your interactions on Instagram are subject to
Instagram's terms of service and privacy policy.
- Data Handling: When you visit an Instagram profile through Nearthy, Instagram may
collect data about your interactions and activities as per its own
privacy practices. Nearthy does not control or have access to the
data collected by Instagram.
- User Consent: Users who link their Instagram profiles to Nearthy profiles do so
voluntarily and provide their consent for other users to visit their
- Instagram profiles.
It's important to understand that any interactions on external
platforms, such as Instagram, are governed by the respective
platform's terms of service and privacy policy. Nearthy does not
have control over the data handling practices of these external
platforms. Please review Instagram's privacy policy and terms of
service to understand how your data is handled when you visit
Instagram profiles.
Updates to Privacy Policy:
At Nearthy, we are committed to maintaining the transparency and
security of your data. This commitment may lead us to periodically
update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our data practices
or legal requirements. Here's what you need to know about updates to
this policy:
- Notification of Changes: When we make updates to
this Privacy Policy, we will revise the "Last Updated" date at the
top of this document to indicate the date of the most recent
changes. We encourage you to regularly review this policy to stay
informed about how we collect, use, and protect your data.
- Material Changes: In the event of
material changes to this policy that significantly impact how your
data is handled, we may provide additional notice through in-app
notifications or email to ensure you are aware of and understand
these changes.
- Your Consent: By
continuing to use Nearthy after updates to this Privacy Policy, you
consent to the revised terms and practices. If you do not agree with
the changes, you have the option to discontinue using the app.
- Review Period: We recommend reviewing
this Privacy Policy periodically to ensure that you are familiar
with its contents and any updates that may have been made.
Contact:
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to your
privacy or this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email:
contact@nearthy.com
We value your privacy, and our team is here to assist you with any
privacy-related inquiries or issues you may have.