Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Travel Buddy Finder ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and share information when you use our service.

Key Point: We are a free, community-focused platform. We do not sell your data, show ads, or use your information for anything other than connecting families.

2. Information We Collect

Account Information

• Email address: Required for account creation and login
• Password: Encrypted and securely stored
• Authentication data: If you sign up with Google OAuth

Trip Information (User-Provided)

• Your name: The person posting the trip
• Your phone number: For coordination purposes
• Your email: Already collected from account creation
• Traveler details: Name, age, languages spoken
• Travel details: Origin, destination, dates, booking status
• Companion preferences: Type of companion sought, assistance needed

Automatically Collected

• Usage data: Pages visited, actions taken
• Device information: Browser type, IP address (anonymized)
• Timestamps: When you create or update trips

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Create and manage your account
• Display your trip posts to other logged-in users
• Enable families to contact you for coordination
• Send important service updates (account verification, security alerts)
• Improve our service and fix bugs
• Prevent fraud and abuse

We do NOT:

• Sell your data to third parties
• Use your data for advertising
• Share your information with anyone except as described in this policy
• Send marketing emails (we don't even have a newsletter)

4. Who Can See Your Information

Logged-In Users

When you post a trip, the following is visible to authenticated users:

• Your name and contact information (email, phone)
• Traveler details (name, age, languages)
• Travel route and dates
• Companion preferences

NOT Visible to Public

• Your information is NOT shown to visitors without an account
• Your trips are NOT indexed by search engines
• Only users who create an account and verify their email can see contact details

Service Providers

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

• Supabase: Database and authentication (enterprise-grade security)
• Vercel: Website hosting
• Google: OAuth authentication (if you sign in with Google)

These providers have access to data only as necessary to perform their services and are bound by confidentiality agreements.

5. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information:

• Encryption: All data is transmitted over HTTPS (SSL/TLS)
• Password protection: Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text
• Access controls: Row Level Security (RLS) in our database
• Regular updates: We keep our systems up to date with security patches

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. You use our service at your own risk.

6. Your Rights & Choices

Access & Update

You can view and update your trip posts anytime from your "My Trips" dashboard.

Delete Your Data

• Delete individual trips: Use the delete button on "My Trips" page
• Delete your account: Email us at admin@travel-buddy-finder.com and we'll delete all your data within 48 hours

Opt-Out of Emails

We only send essential emails (account verification, security alerts). You cannot opt out of these as they're necessary for the service to function.

7. Data Retention

• Trips: Retained until you delete them or mark them complete
• Account data: Retained until you request deletion
• Logs: Anonymized usage logs retained for 90 days for security purposes

8. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a minor has provided us information, please contact us immediately.

9. International Users

Our service is operated from the United States. If you're accessing from outside the US, your information may be transferred to and processed in the US, which may have different data protection laws than your country.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We'll notify you of significant changes by updating the "Last Updated" date. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to exercise your rights, contact us at:

Email: admin@travel-buddy-finder.com

Or visit our Contact Us page.