Introduction
Clink Innovated, LLC ("we," "us," or "our") operates the Clink mobile application (the "App"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our App. Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the App.
Information We Collect
1. Personal Information You Provide
When you register for and use our App, you may provide us with:
- Account Information: Username, email address, password, first name, last name
- Profile Information: Date of birth, gender, hometown, sexual orientation, relationship status, bio, interests, favorite drink, academic major, academic status
- University Information: School/university affiliation (verified through university email)
- Profile Media: Profile pictures and photos (up to 6 photos)
- Moments: Temporary photos and videos you share (automatically expire after 7 days)
- Chat Communications: Messages, images, and audio recordings you send through our messaging feature
- Business Information (for bar/business accounts): Business name, business type, operating hours, phone number, website, business description, amenities, price range, business license number
2. Information Collected Automatically
When you use the App, we may automatically collect:
- Device Information: Device type, operating system version, unique device identifiers
- Usage Information: Online status, last active timestamp, typing indicators in conversations
- Social Interactions: Friend lists, friend requests, likes, matches, blocked users, moment views and likes, comment interactions
- Push Notification Tokens: Device tokens for sending notifications
- Technical Data: IP addresses (used for security purposes only, not stored permanently)
3. Location Information
- Precise Location: We collect your location data to provide location-based features, including:
- Discovering nearby bars and businesses
- Showing relevant local content and events
- Connecting you with users in your area
- For business accounts: Setting and displaying your business location
- Location Permissions: You can disable location access in your device settings, though this may limit certain features
4. Purchases
- Purchase History: Records of in-app purchases and subscriptions (if applicable)
- Transaction Data: Information about your purchases to provide app functionality and analyze trends
5. Diagnostic and Usage Data
To improve app performance and user experience, we collect:
- Crash Data: Information about app crashes to fix bugs and improve stability (not linked to your identity)
- Performance Data: App performance metrics and load times (not linked to your identity)
- Product Interaction: How you use features in the app for analytics purposes
- Anonymous Usage Data: Aggregated usage patterns not linked to your identity
6. Data Linked to Your Identity
The following data is collected and linked to your account and identity:
- Contact Info (Name, Email Address)
- Precise Location (for location-based features)
- Sensitive Info (optional profile information)
- User Content (Photos, Videos, Messages, Audio Data)
- Identifiers (User ID)
- Purchases (Purchase History)
7. Data NOT Linked to Your Identity
Some data is collected for app improvement but is not linked to your personal identity:
- Diagnostics: Crash Data and Performance Data (used to fix bugs and improve stability)
- Anonymous User Content: Aggregated content patterns
- Anonymous Usage Data: Aggregate usage patterns and feature interaction
This anonymous data cannot be used to identify you personally and is used solely to improve app performance and user experience.
8. Data We Do NOT Collect
To be clear about our privacy practices, we do NOT collect:
- Health & Fitness Data
- Browsing History outside our app
- Cross-App Tracking Data for advertising
- Search History outside our app
- Financial/Payment Information (handled by Apple)
How We Use Your Information
In accordance with Apple's App Store requirements, we clearly describe how we use each type of data we collect:
App Functionality
- Account Management: Create and manage your account, authenticate your identity
- Profile Features: Display your profile to other users, enable customization
- Social Networking: Connect you with friends, facilitate friend requests, enable matches
- Messaging: Enable real-time chat, deliver messages, show typing indicators
- Moments: Allow you to share temporary photos/videos, automatically delete expired content
- Business Discovery: Display business locations and information to help customers find businesses
- Fraud Prevention: Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents
- Technical Operations: Use crash data and performance metrics to fix bugs and improve app stability
Product Personalization
- Customized Experience: Tailor content and features based on your profile, preferences, and interests
- Friend Suggestions: Recommend potential friends based on mutual connections and university affiliation
- Content Discovery: Show you relevant moments and user profiles based on your activity
- Location-Based Services: Display nearby businesses and events relevant to your location
Analytics
- Usage Analytics: Analyze how users interact with features to improve app performance
- Purchase Analytics: Understand subscription and purchase patterns to optimize offerings
- Performance Monitoring: Track app performance metrics to identify and fix issues
- Feature Optimization: Determine which features are most valuable to users
Developer's Advertising or Marketing
- Service Communications: Notify you about new features, updates, and promotional offers
- Purchase Promotions: Send information about subscription options and special offers
- App Updates: Inform you about important app changes and improvements
Other Purposes
- Customer Support: Respond to your questions and provide technical assistance
- Security and Safety: Protect users from abuse, fraud, and harmful content
- Legal Compliance: Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms of service
Important: What We Do NOT Do
- No Third-Party Ads: We do not display third-party advertisements in our app
- No Cross-App Tracking: We do not track you across other companies' apps or websites
- No Data Selling: We do not sell your personal information to third parties
- No Data Brokers: We do not share your data with data brokers
How We Share Your Information
Information Shared with Other Users
Your privacy settings control much of what other users can see:
- Public Profile Information: Username, profile pictures, bio, and interests are visible to other users based on your privacy settings
- Moments: Visible to "Friends Only" or "Public" based on your chosen visibility setting
- Online Status: Your online/offline status is visible to users you interact with
- Business Information: All business profile information is publicly visible
Third-Party Service Providers
We use the following third-party services to operate our App:
- Firebase (Google): Authentication, database storage, file storage, cloud functions, and push notifications
- Apple Services: Face ID/Touch ID authentication, MapKit for location services (business accounts only), Push Notifications
Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information, including:
- Encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
- Firebase security rules to control data access
- Secure password hashing through Firebase Authentication
- Secure storage of credentials using iOS Keychain
- Regular security updates and patches
However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.
Data Retention
- Active Account Data: We retain your account information and profile data for as long as your account is active
- Moments: Automatically deleted 7 days after posting (temporary content)
- Main Profile Photos: Permanent profile photos remain until you delete them or close your account
- Messages: Chat messages are retained until deleted by users
- Deleted Accounts: When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal compliance
Your Privacy Rights and Choices
Access and Control
You have the right to:
- Access Your Data: View and download your personal information through your profile settings
- Update Information: Edit your profile information, photos, and preferences at any time
- Delete Content: Remove your moments, messages, and profile pictures
- Delete Account: Permanently delete your account and associated data
- Block Users: Prevent specific users from contacting you or viewing your profile
Privacy Settings
- Moment Visibility: Choose whether each moment is visible to "Friends Only" or "Public"
- Profile Visibility: Control who can view your profile information
- Notification Preferences: Manage push notification settings in your device settings
Opt-Out Rights
- Location Services: You can disable location access in your device settings (required for business accounts)
- Camera/Microphone: You can revoke camera and microphone permissions in your device settings (will limit certain features)
- Push Notifications: You can disable notifications in your device settings
- Biometric Authentication: You can disable Face ID/Touch ID login and use password authentication instead
Tracking and Advertising
We Do NOT Track You for Advertising
In accordance with Apple's App Store requirements, we want to be clear about tracking:
- No Cross-App Tracking: We do not link data from our app with data from other companies' apps or websites for advertising purposes
- No Data Brokers: We do not share your data with data brokers
- No Third-Party Ads: We do not display third-party advertisements or use advertising networks
- No Behavioral Advertising: We do not track your behavior for targeted advertising
What We DO Collect for Internal Use
- Analytics: We analyze usage patterns within our app only to improve functionality and user experience
- Performance Metrics: We collect crash data and performance data to fix bugs and optimize the app
- Product Interaction: We monitor how features are used to make the app better
- First-Party Marketing: We may send you notifications about our own features, updates, and subscription offers
Important: All analytics and diagnostics are used exclusively to improve Clink. We do not share this data with advertising networks or use it for cross-app tracking.
International Data Transfers
Your information may be transferred to and maintained on servers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.
Our servers and third-party service providers (Firebase) are located in the United States. By using the App, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries where we or our service providers operate.
California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):
- Right to Know: You can request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you
- Right to Delete: You can request deletion of your personal information
- Right to Opt-Out: We do not sell personal information, so there is nothing to opt out of
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights
To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.
European Privacy Rights (GDPR)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):
Legal Basis for Processing
We process your data based on:
- Your consent (for profile information and optional features)
- Performance of a contract (to provide our services)
- Legitimate interests (to improve our services and ensure security)
Your Rights
- Right to access your personal data
- Right to rectification of inaccurate data
- Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
- Right to restrict processing
- Right to data portability
- Right to object to processing
- Right to withdraw consent at any time
To exercise these rights or for questions about data protection, please contact us at the address below.
Age Requirements
Our App is intended for users 18 years of age and older.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are under 18, please do not use the App or provide any information. Users must be at least 18 years old to create an account and use Clink.
If we learn we have collected information from a person under 18, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided personal information may contact us immediately to request deletion.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by:
- Posting the new Privacy Policy in the App
- Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
- Sending you a notification through the App or email for material changes
Your continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
Your Consent
By using the Clink App, you consent to our Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.