Privacy Policy

1. Overview

Wanderist ("we," "us," "our," or "the Application") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application (the "Application").

Key Principle: Wanderist is a privacy-first, local-first application. Most of your data stays on your device. We only collect data that you explicitly choose to share.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you use Wanderist, you may choose to provide the following information:

• Profile Information: Name, nationality/passport country
• Trip Information: Destinations, travel dates, budget, trip intent/style
• Financial Data: Monthly income, savings, expenses, spending patterns, currency preferences
• Health Information: Medical conditions, insurance details, vaccine information (stored locally only)
• Emergency Contacts: Names, phone numbers, relationships (stored locally only)
• Banking Information: Bank names, account details (stored locally only)
• Legal/Administrative Data: Visa information, passport details, tax information (stored locally only)
• Security Information: Digital passwords, account credentials (stored locally only)
• Trip Details: Itinerary items, accommodations, notes, packing lists
• Checklists & Tasks: Custom preparation checklists, departure tasks

All of this information is stored LOCALLY on your device only. We do not transmit, collect, or store this data on our servers.

2.2 Information Automatically Collected

Location Data (Optional - User Consent Required)

• GPS/Geolocation: Only when you explicitly enable location services and use the "Current Location" feature to:
  • Display your location on maps
  • Show nearby cities
  • Validate location-based community content submission
• How it's used: Location data is used only for the features you activate and is NOT stored on our servers
• Duration: Location data is temporary and used only during your active session
• Your Control: You can disable location permissions at any time in your device settings

Device Information

• Device Type: iPhone or Android (to optimize app performance)
• Operating System Version: To ensure compatibility
• App Version: For crash reporting and improvements

None of this information is used for tracking or advertising

2.3 Information NOT Collected

We explicitly do NOT collect:

• ❌ Your precise location history (we only use real-time location when you request it)
• ❌ Browsing history or in-app behavior tracking
• ❌ Advertising identifiers
• ❌ Biometric data
• ❌ Any form of user profiling or tracking
• ❌ IP addresses for analytics
• ❌ Usage analytics or telemetry (unless you opt-in to crash reporting)

3. Community Contributions (Data Shared)

3.1 What You Share

When you contribute to the Wanderist community, you may share:

• Insights: Travel tips, safety warnings, recommendations about cities (text + optional images)
• Comments: Responses to community insights
• Community Events: Information about local events you discover

3.2 What We Store About Your Contributions

• Your contribution content (text, images)
• Metadata: timestamp, city location, contribution type
• Your user ID (randomly generated, non-identifying)

We DO NOT store:

• Your real name (unless you voluntarily include it in the contribution text)
• Your device information
• Your IP address
• Your location (only the city you're describing)
• Your personal travel history

3.3 Community Content Moderation

• Moderation: We review community contributions to remove spam, harassment, illegal content, and policy violations
• Liability: Wanderist is not legally responsible for:
  • Consequences of following community advice (users follow at their own risk)
  • Third-party actions based on community content
  • Accuracy of community-submitted information
  • User-generated content quality or safety claims
• Removal Rights: We reserve the right to remove, edit, or flag any community content that violates our Community Guidelines

4. How We Use Your Information

4.1 Local Use Only

Your personal data (financial, health, banking, etc.) is used ONLY to:

• Display information within the app on your device
• Calculate budgets, expenses, and financial projections
• Generate personal recommendations and insights
• Create your itineraries and trip plans
• Support preparation checklists and phase-specific tools

4.2 Community Features

Community contributions are used to:

• Display insights and recommendations to other travelers
• Build community knowledge base
• Improve city information and travel recommendations
• Moderate content for policy violations

5. Permissions We Request

5.1 Location Access (Optional)

• Permission: ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION (iOS: NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription)
• Purpose: Show your position on maps, validate location-based contributions
• Default: OFF (you must enable)
• User Control: Can be toggled on/off in app settings
• Data Retention: Not stored

5.2 Calendar Access (Optional)

• Permission: READ_CALENDAR, WRITE_CALENDAR
• Purpose: Add trips and community events to your device calendar
• Default: OFF (you must enable)
• User Control: Can be toggled on/off in app settings
• Data Retention: Not stored on our servers (only your device calendar)

5.3 Notifications/Reminders (Optional)

• Permission: POST_NOTIFICATIONS (Android 13+)
• Purpose: Trip reminders, visa expiry alerts, community event notifications
• Default: OFF (you must enable)
• User Control: Can be toggled on/off in app settings
• Data Retention: Reminder settings stored locally only

6. Data Storage & Security

6.1 Where Your Data Is Stored

• Primary: Your device's local storage (AsyncStorage on mobile)
• Backend: Currently NOT stored on any remote servers
• Backup: Users can export data locally (not synchronized to cloud)

6.2 Data Security

• Encryption: Local data is protected by your device's OS-level encryption
• No Cloud: We do not transmit personal data to external servers
• Third-Party APIs: Only public APIs used (Pexels images, guest access to maps)

6.3 Data You Can Delete

You can delete any of the following at any time:

• Profile information
• Trip data
• Financial records
• Health/emergency data
• All checklists and custom items
• Community contributions (contact support)
• All app data (via "Reset Data" in settings)

7. Your Rights & Choices

7.1 Access & Control

You have the right to:

• Access: View all your personal data in the app
• Export: Export your trip data in standard formats
• Delete: Remove any personal information at any time
• Disable Permissions: Turn off location, calendar, or notification permissions

7.2 Opt-Out Options

• Location: Disable in app settings or device settings
• Calendar: Disable in app settings
• Notifications: Disable in app settings
• Community Sharing: Don't submit community content
• All Data: Factory reset via "Reset Data" option

8. International Users

This Privacy Policy applies globally. Wanderist is available in multiple countries and complies with data protection regulations including:

• GDPR (EU/UK): User rights to access, delete, and port data
• CCPA (California): Consumer privacy rights
• Other Local Laws: We comply with applicable regulations in your jurisdiction

9. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices:

Email: privacy@wanderist.app

We will respond to privacy requests within 30 days.

10. Summary: What We Track vs. What We Don't

✅ = Collected | ⚠️ = Optionally collected | ❌ = Not collected