Privacy Policy for Sightjunction

1. Introduction

Sightjunction ("we", "our", "us") is a location-based social discovery application available on iOS and Android. We are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and applicable international privacy standards including Apple's App Store privacy requirements.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

• Full name
• Email address
• Date of birth (used for age verification — users must be 16 or older)
• Profile bio and interests

2.2 Location Data

• Exact GPS location (latitude and longitude)
• Real-time location updates when the app is in use
• Optional background location (only when enabled by the user)
• Proximity radius set by the user (50m to 1km)

How location is used: Location is used to show you nearby users on the radar screen, to display and filter nearby community events within a set radius, and to allow event hosts to limit event visibility to users physically within their chosen distance. Your exact GPS coordinates are never displayed to other users — only approximate distance (e.g. "200m away") is shown.

2.3 Photos and Videos

• Profile photo (uploaded voluntarily by the user)
• Outfit of the Day (OOTD) photo (optional, expires after a set time)
• Photos and videos shared within event communities

How photos and videos are used: Photos are used to display your profile to nearby users and within event communities. Videos and photos shared inside events are visible only to users who have joined that specific event. We access your photo library and camera only when you explicitly choose to upload content. Media is stored securely via Cloudinary (a third-party media storage service). We do not scan, analyse, or use your photos for any purpose other than display within the app.

2.4 Device & Usage Data

• Device type and operating system (iOS or Android)
• Push notification token (for delivering notifications)
• App activity (scans, profile views, event joins, connections)
• IP address

3. How We Use Your Information

• To show you nearby users within your chosen radius using GPS location
• To enable event creation and discovery — events are shown only to users within the host's set geographic radius
• To display global events publicly to all users when the host chooses to make them public
• To display your profile photo and shared content within the app to nearby users and event participants
• To send push notifications for nearby events, connection requests, and event updates
• To enable connections and chat between users
• To verify that users meet the minimum age requirement of 16 years
• To improve app performance and prevent abuse

4. Events Feature

Sightjunction allows users to create and join community events. When creating an event, the host chooses:

• Public events: Visible to all Sightjunction users globally
• Private/Nearby events: Visible only to users physically within the host's set radius

Within an event, participants may share photos, videos, and vote on polls. All media shared inside an event is visible only to users who have joined that event. Events expire after the host's chosen duration and are automatically removed.

5. User Visibility & Controls

• Users can toggle their visibility on or off at any time — when invisible, you will not appear on other users' radars
• Visible profile data shown to nearby users includes your name, bio, interests, and approximate distance
• Your exact GPS coordinates are never shared with other users

6. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate the app:

• Firebase by Google — authentication, database, and push notifications
• Cloudinary — secure photo and video storage
• Apple Sign In — optional sign-in method on iOS
• Google Sign In — optional sign-in method on Android
• Expo — mobile app platform and push notification delivery

Each of these services has their own privacy policies. We only share the minimum data necessary for these services to function.

7. Location Tracking

• Location is used to calculate proximity between users and for event discovery
• Background location is optional and only used when the user explicitly enables it to keep their location updated for nearby discovery
• Users can disable location access at any time in their device settings
• Location data is stored in our database only to enable nearby features and is updated when the user scans or opens the app

8. Push Notifications

We send push notifications for:

• New events created near your location
• Connection requests from other users
• Event updates (e.g. event ended by host)

You can disable push notifications at any time in your device settings.

9. Chat & Interactions

• Users can send connection requests and chat after connecting
• Messages are stored in Firebase database
• Users can block and report other users

10. Data Storage & Security

• All data is stored using Firebase and Cloudinary services
• Access to data is restricted to system functionality only
• We do not sell your personal data to any third party

No system is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Data Sharing

• We do not sell personal data
• Profile information is shared with nearby users based on your visibility settings
• Media shared in events is visible only to event participants
• We share data with Firebase and Cloudinary as service providers
• We may disclose data if required by law

12. Data Retention & Deletion

• Users can delete their account instantly in-app
• Deleted data is removed from active systems immediately
• Events expire and are automatically removed after the host's set duration
• Some backup data may remain for a limited period

13. Children's Privacy

Sightjunction is intended for users aged 16 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from users under 16. Date of birth is verified during sign-up and users under 16 are not permitted to create an account.

14. Your Rights (POPIA)

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate data
• Delete your account and data
• Withdraw consent at any time

Contact: sightjunction.contact@gmail.com

15. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Updates will be posted on this page with a new effective date.

16. Contact Us

Email: sightjunction.contact@gmail.com