Privacy Policy

Indian Drive Guide (IDG)

Effective Date: June 6, 2025
Last Updated: June 6, 2025

1. Introduction

Indian Drive Guide ("IDG," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your information when you use our mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service").

By using our Service, you consent to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

Account Information:

• Full name and username (5-15 characters)

• Email address and phone number

• Date of birth and gender identity

• Location information (city, state, country, postal/PIN code)

• Language preferences

• Profile pictures uploaded to our Service

Vehicle Information:

• License plate numbers (5-13 characters)

• Vehicle type, brand, model, year, and color

• Fuel type and odometer readings

• Registration state and verification status

• Vehicle use case and purpose classification

• Custom status messages and parking information

Emergency Contact Information:

• Names, email addresses, and phone numbers of emergency contacts

• Relationship information between you and your emergency contacts

• Contact verification status and profile images

Financial Information:

• Trip expense amounts (₹0.01 to ₹100,000 per entry)

• Expense titles, descriptions, and categories

• Trip participant information and expense splitting preferences

• Settlement records and payment history

• Balance calculations and debt relationships

2.2 Information Automatically Collected

Usage and Activity Data:

• Questions, answers, and comments posted in the community

• Images uploaded with community content

• Like/dislike interactions and content flagging activity

• Community engagement metrics and view counts

• User points, reputation scores, and contribution counts

• Trip creation and expense management patterns

Device and Technical Information:

• Device type, operating system, and app version

• IP address and approximate location

• Device identifiers and browser information

• App usage patterns and session data

• Crash reports and error logs

QR Code Scan Data:

• Scanner device details and IP addresses

• Timestamp and location information from scan events

• Scan type classification (normal vs. emergency)

• Complete scan history and patterns

2.3 Information from Third Parties

Social Media Integration:

• Profile information if you connect social media accounts

• Public information from connected platforms

Third-Party Services:

• Data from our service providers (Supabase, OneSignal, ImgBB)

• Authentication and security verification data

3. How We Use Your Information

3.1 Core Service Functionality

Community Platform:

• Display your questions, answers, and profile to other users

• Calculate reputation scores and community rankings

• Moderate content and enforce community guidelines

• Provide search and filtering capabilities

Trip Expense Management:

• Calculate expense splits and balances between participants

• Send notifications about new expenses and settlements

• Generate trip summaries and financial reports

• Sync data across devices for all trip participants

Vehicle Management:

• Generate and manage QR codes linked to your vehicles

• Display vehicle information to QR code scanners

• Send emergency notifications to your designated contacts

• Track QR code scan history for security purposes

User Profiles:

• Maintain your account and profile information

• Personalize your experience based on preferences

• Track achievements and gamification elements

3.2 Communication and Notifications

• Send push notifications about app activity and updates

• Deliver emergency notifications to your contacts when appropriate

• Provide customer support and respond to inquiries

• Send important Service announcements and legal notices

3.3 Service Improvement and Analytics

• Analyze usage patterns to improve our Service

• Identify and fix technical issues and bugs

• Develop new features based on user behavior

• Generate aggregated, anonymized analytics and reports

3.4 Safety and Security

• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and violations of our Terms

• Protect against security threats and unauthorized access

• Verify user identity and account authenticity

• Maintain content moderation and safety systems

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 Public Information

Community Content:

• All questions, answers, and comments are publicly visible to other users

• Your username, reputation score, and contribution history are public

• Vehicle information linked to QR codes is accessible to anyone who scans them

Trip Expense Data:

• Expense information is shared with all participants in each trip

• Settlement calculations and balances are visible to trip members

• Trip participant lists and roles are shared within the group

4.2 Third-Party Service Providers

Supabase (Database and Authentication):

• User account information and authentication data

• All app content and user-generated data

• Usage analytics and performance metrics

OneSignal (Push Notifications):

• Device tokens and notification preferences

• User engagement data and notification interaction metrics

• Message content for push notifications

ImgBB (Image Hosting):

• Profile pictures and images uploaded to our Service

• Image metadata and upload information

4.3 Legal and Safety Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law or to:

• Comply with legal processes, court orders, or government requests

• Protect the rights, property, or safety of IDG, our users, or the public

• Investigate potential violations of our Terms of Service

• Respond to emergency situations involving personal safety

4.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the new entity. We will notify you of any such transfer and any changes to this Privacy Policy.

5. Data Retention

5.1 Account Data

• Profile information is retained until you delete your account

• Some information may be retained for legal compliance after account deletion

• Anonymized data may be retained indefinitely for analytics purposes

5.2 Community Content

• Questions, answers, and comments are retained permanently unless you delete them

• Edit history may be preserved for moderation and abuse prevention

• Images uploaded to the community are stored until manually deleted

5.3 Vehicle and QR Code Data

• Vehicle information is stored until you remove vehicles from your account

• QR code scan history is retained indefinitely for security and functionality

• Emergency contact relationships persist until manually removed

5.4 Financial Data

• Trip expense data is retained permanently unless you delete trips

• Settlement history and balance calculations are preserved for reference

• Anonymized financial patterns may be retained for service improvement

6. Your Privacy Rights and Choices

6.1 Account Management

• Access and update your profile information through the app settings

• Add, edit, or remove vehicles and emergency contacts

• Control QR code settings and information visibility

• Manage trip participations and expense data

6.2 Privacy Controls

• Configure notification preferences and frequency

• Control what information is displayed through QR codes

• Set privacy preferences for community profile visibility

• Manage emergency contact notification settings

6.3 Data Requests

You have the right to:

• Request access to all personal information we hold about you

• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information

• Request deletion of your account and associated data

• Request data portability in a machine-readable format

• Object to certain processing activities

To exercise these rights, contact us at: indiandriveguide@gmail.com

6.4 Account Deletion

• Delete your account through app settings or by contacting support

• Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone

• Some data may be retained for legal compliance and safety reasons

• Deletion process may take up to 30 days to complete

7. Data Security

7.1 Technical Safeguards

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmission

• Certificate pinning to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks

• Secure authentication using industry-standard protocols

• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments

7.2 Access Controls

• Row-level security policies in our database

• Role-based access controls for our staff

• Multi-factor authentication for administrative access

• Regular access reviews and permission audits

7.3 Data Protection Measures

• Secure cloud infrastructure with certified providers

• Regular backups with encryption at rest

• Input validation and sanitization to prevent attacks

• Rate limiting and abuse prevention systems

8. International Data Transfers

8.1 Cross-Border Processing

• Your data may be processed in countries outside India

• Our service providers (Supabase, OneSignal, ImgBB) may store data internationally

• We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers

• Data protection standards are maintained regardless of processing location

• Our primary jurisdiction is Delhi, India

8.2 Legal Basis for Processing

• Contract performance for core Service functionality

• Legitimate interests for service improvement and analytics

• Consent for marketing communications and optional features

• Legal compliance for safety and regulatory requirements

9. Cookies and Local Storage

9.1 Technologies We Use

• Local Storage: User preferences and offline functionality using Hive storage

• Session Storage: Temporary data for app functionality during your session

• Cookies: Authentication tokens and user preferences on our website

• Device Storage: Profile caching and performance optimization

9.2 Third-Party Technologies

• OneSignal may use cookies for push notification functionality

• ImgBB may set cookies when you upload images

• Supabase may use cookies for authentication and session management

9.3 Your Choices

• Clear local storage and cookies through your device settings

• Disable cookies in your browser (may affect website functionality)

• Reset advertising identifiers through your device privacy settings

10. Children's Privacy

10.1 Age Requirements

• Our Service is not intended for users under 18 years of age

• We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors

• If we discover we have collected information from a minor, we will delete it promptly

• Parents or guardians should contact us if they believe a minor has provided information

10.2 Parental Controls

• Parents can request deletion of their child's information

• We will verify parental identity before processing such requests

• Educational institutions using our Service must obtain appropriate consents

11. Privacy by Design

11.1 Data Minimization

• We collect only information necessary for Service functionality

• Optional profile fields are clearly marked as optional

• Data collection is proportionate to the purposes for which it's used

11.2 Purpose Limitation

• Information is used only for the purposes described in this Policy

• We obtain additional consent before using data for new purposes

• Anonymized data may be used for broader analytics and research

11.3 Transparency

• We provide clear information about our data practices

• Privacy settings are easily accessible and understandable

• We notify users of significant changes to our privacy practices

12. Regional Privacy Rights

12.1 Indian Privacy Rights

• Rights under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 (when applicable)

• Right to access, correct, and delete personal information

• Right to data portability and restriction of processing

• Right to withdraw consent for optional processing activities

• Delhi jurisdiction applies for legal matters

12.2 Other Jurisdictions

• GDPR rights for European users

• CCPA rights for California residents

• Additional rights may apply based on your location

• Contact us to understand your specific privacy rights

13. Privacy Policy Updates

13.1 Change Notifications

• We will notify you of material changes to this Privacy Policy

• Notifications will be sent via email and in-app announcements

• Continued use of our Service constitutes acceptance of updated terms

• Previous versions will be archived and available upon request

13.2 Review Schedule

• We review this Privacy Policy annually

• Changes are made to reflect new features, legal requirements, or industry best practices

• Emergency updates may be made for security or legal compliance reasons

14. Contact Information

14.1 Privacy Inquiries

For questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices:

Privacy Officer: indiandriveguide@gmail.com
General Support: indiandriveguide@gmail.com
Data Protection Officer: indiandriveguide@gmail.com

14.2 Mailing Address

Indian Drive Guide
Delhi, India

14.3 Response Times

• We respond to privacy inquiries within 7 business days

• Complex requests may require up to 30 days for completion

• Urgent privacy concerns will be addressed immediately

• We provide status updates for longer-processing requests

15. Definitions

Personal Information: Any information that identifies, relates to, or could reasonably be linked with you.

Processing: Any operation performed on personal information, including collection, use, storage, and disclosure.

Service Providers: Third-party companies that provide services on our behalf under contract.

User-Generated Content: Any content created and shared by users within our Service.

This Privacy Policy is effective as of the date listed above and governs our collection and use of your information from that date forward.