Privacy Policy

Effective Date: [DATE OF PUBLICATION]
Last Updated: [DATE OF PUBLICATION]

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information you provide to us

• Account information. When you create an account, we collect your email address, phone number (if used for sign-in), display name, username (handle), date of birth (to confirm 17+ eligibility), and a password (for email-based accounts) or OAuth identifier (for Apple Sign-In or other social sign-ins).
• Profile information. Profile photo, bio, taste preferences (cuisines, dietary restrictions, sourcing preferences), home city, and any other information you choose to add to your profile.
• User Content. Photos, videos, captions, ratings, reviews, dish tags, place tags, comments, replies, and direct messages you post or send through the Service.
• Social information. People you follow and people who follow you, group chat memberships, plans you create or accept, and routes you build.
• Communications. Messages you send to other users via in-app DM or group chat, and messages you send to us (e.g., support requests, feedback).

1.2 Information collected automatically

• Usage data. Posts you view, like, save, comment on, or share; places you view, save, or rate; searches you perform; video playback completion ratios; map regions you view; impressions on content (to power personalization and recommendations).
• Device data. Device model, operating system version, app version, language, time zone, push notification token, and unique device identifiers.
• Location data. Approximate location based on the places you tag, search, or view in the app. With your permission, we may also access your device's precise location (e.g., when you use "Local" feed or map features). You can revoke location permissions at any time via your device settings.
• Log data. Server logs including IP address, browser type, referring URL, pages viewed, and timestamps.

1.3 Information from third parties

• OAuth providers. If you sign in with Apple or another OAuth provider, we receive your email address and a unique identifier from that provider. We do not receive your password.
• Partner restaurants. If you interact with a partner restaurant's claimed profile, we may receive limited information about that interaction (e.g., menu views, offer redemptions) from the partner-portal system.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Operate the Service — create and manage your account, deliver content, process posts and ratings, send notifications, enable social features (following, DMs, plans, routes);
• Personalize your experience — power the "For You" feed, recommend places based on your taste preferences and behavior, surface relevant events and friends' activity;
• Communicate with you — send transactional emails (account verification, password reset, plan invites), respond to support requests, and (where you have opted in) send product updates;
• Maintain safety and integrity — detect and prevent fraud, spam, abuse, harassment, or other violations of our Terms of Service; enforce community guidelines;
• Improve the Service — analyze usage patterns to understand what works and what doesn't, identify bugs, develop new features;
• Comply with legal obligations — respond to lawful requests from public authorities, enforce our Terms, and protect our rights.

3. How We Share Your Information

We share your personal information in the following limited circumstances:

3.1 With other users

Your profile, posts, comments, ratings, follower lists, and public activity are visible to other users of the Service by default. Direct messages are visible to the recipient(s). Group chat messages are visible to all members of the group.

3.2 With service providers (sub-processors)

We use the following third-party services to operate the Service. Each is contractually bound to handle your data only for the purpose of providing services to Blabberly:

We may add or change sub-processors over time. Material changes will be reflected in this Privacy Policy.

3.3 For legal reasons

We may disclose your information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or other legal process, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with applicable law or legal process;
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of Blabberly, our users, or the public;
• Detect, investigate, or prevent fraud, abuse, or violations of our Terms.

3.4 In connection with a business transfer

If Blabberly is involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or bankruptcy, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you (e.g., via email or in-app notice) before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. When you delete your account:

• Your profile and public User Content are removed from the Service within a reasonable period (typically 30 days);
• Account data is deleted from active systems;
• Backup copies may persist for up to 90 days before automatic deletion;
• Aggregated and anonymized data (which cannot be linked back to you) may be retained indefinitely for analytics and product improvement.

We may retain certain information for longer where required by law (e.g., financial records, legal compliance, dispute resolution).

5. Your Rights & Choices

5.1 Account controls

You can review and update your account information at any time via Settings within the Service. You can:

• Update your profile (Settings → Edit Profile);
• Change your email or password (Settings → Account);
• Adjust notification preferences (Settings → Notifications);
• Manage blocked users (Settings → Blocked Users);
• Delete your account (Settings → Account → Delete Account).

5.2 Privacy rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have additional rights, including:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
• Correction — request that we correct inaccurate information;
• Deletion — request that we delete your personal information;
• Portability — request a copy of your personal information in a structured, machine-readable format;
• Restriction — request that we limit certain uses of your information;
• Objection — object to certain processing activities.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@blabberly.com with the subject "Privacy Request." We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law (typically 30–45 days). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

5.3 California residents (CCPA / CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act provide you with additional rights, including the rights described in Section 5.2 above. In the past twelve months, Blabberly has:

• Collected the categories of personal information described in Section 1;
• Disclosed personal information to the sub-processors listed in Section 3.2;
• Not sold or shared personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising;
• Not collected sensitive personal information for the purpose of inferring characteristics about you.

You have the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information; because we do not sell or share your information for advertising, this option does not currently apply, but we will update this policy if our practices change.

To submit a CCPA request, email support@blabberly.com with the subject "California Privacy Request." We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

5.4 EU/UK residents (GDPR / UK-GDPR)

If you are in the EU, UK, or another jurisdiction subject to GDPR or UK-GDPR, the lawful bases on which we process your personal information are:

• Performance of a contract — operating your account and providing the Service;
• Legitimate interests — improving the Service, maintaining safety, preventing fraud (balanced against your rights);
• Consent — for optional features such as push notifications and precise location access (which you can withdraw at any time);
• Legal obligation — compliance with applicable law.

You have the rights described in Section 5.2 above, as well as the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Blabberly is based in the United States. By using the Service, you understand that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. We rely on standard contractual clauses and other appropriate safeguards for any cross-border transfers.

6. Children Under 17

7. Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational security measures designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS), encryption at rest for sensitive data, access controls on our backend, and regular security review.

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at support@blabberly.com.

8. Third-Party Links & Content

The Service may contain links to third-party websites, services, or content (e.g., restaurant websites linked from place pages, music or video assets from third-party platforms). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before interacting with them.

9. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

The Blabberly mobile app does not use browser cookies. It does use unique device identifiers and local storage to operate (e.g., to keep you signed in, to cache content for performance).

The blabberly.com website may use cookies and similar technologies for essential functions (e.g., keeping your session active). We do not use third-party advertising cookies or cross-site tracking.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by posting the updated Policy on the Service, updating the "Last Updated" date above, and where practical sending you an email or in-app notification.

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of the updated Policy constitutes your acceptance of it. If you do not agree with the updated Policy, you must stop using the Service and may delete your account.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, contact us at: