Privacy Policy

Who We Are

Neighborhood Pulse ("we", "us", or "our") builds tools that help neighbors connect, stay informed, and support their local community. This Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, and how you can control your information when using our website and mobile apps (the "Services").

Information We Collect

• Account info (name, email, password).
• Profile & household details (address, neighborhood, optional interests).
• Location data for GPS verification and to tailor hyperlocal features. Collected with your device’s permission and only when needed to perform a requested action.
• Content you create (posts, comments, messages) and associated metadata.
• Device & usage data (app version, device type, approximate diagnostics, cookies/SDK events) for security, analytics, and performance.
• Verification documents you upload (e.g., a utility bill). Documents are deleted after review; the decision and minimal audit trail remain.

How We Use Information

• Provide and personalize the Services, including neighborhood-specific content.
• Verify that members live in — or are physically present within — a neighborhood before accessing gated features.
• Maintain safety, integrity, spam prevention, and abuse detection.
• Communicate with you about updates, features, and community notices (you can adjust preferences).
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms.
• Provide app analytics, crash reporting, and performance monitoring through Firebase.
• Show in‑app advertisements through Google AdMob, which may be personalized based on your activity unless you opt out.

Advertising & Analytics

We use Google Firebase (Analytics, Crashlytics, Performance) to understand app usage and improve reliability, and Google AdMob to display ads. Depending on your settings and region, ads may be personalized using device identifiers and activity within our app.

• Personalized ads: where required, we will ask for consent before using data for ad personalization. You can change your choice at any time (see Your Choices & Controls).
• Children: Neighborhood Pulse is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly enable personalized ads for minors.

Developers can control Firebase/AdMob settings in‑app (e.g., “Limit Ad Tracking”, “Disable Analytics”) and via OS‑level settings.

Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as needed to run the Services:

• Service providers that help us operate the platform (e.g., hosting, analytics, customer support). They are bound by confidentiality and data protection obligations.
• Legal & safety when required by law or to protect our users, our platform, or the public.
• Business transfers if we enter a merger, acquisition, or asset sale. We’ll continue to protect your information and notify you of any material changes.

GPS & Address Verification

• GPS checks happen with your permission and only to confirm you’re within a neighborhood boundary or to improve location-relevant features.
• Proof-of-address documents are stored securely, used solely for verification, and permanently deleted after review. We retain only the verification decision and minimal metadata.
• Precision options: you can control device-level location permissions at any time (e.g., precise vs. approximate).

Security

We use industry-standard safeguards to protect your information (encryption in transit, access controls, monitoring). No system is perfectly secure; if we detect an incident affecting your data, we will notify you and relevant authorities when required.

Your Choices & Controls

• Access, correct, or delete profile information from your account settings or by contacting us.
• Location permissions can be enabled/disabled at the device OS level.
• Notifications can be managed in-app and through your device settings.
• Data export requests are supported where required by law.
• Ad personalization: You can opt out of personalized ads at any time through your device settings:
  • iOS: Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking (or Apple Advertising).
  • Android: Settings → Google → Ads → Opt out of Ads Personalization.
  Ads will still appear, but they may be less relevant.

Regional Notices

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights:

• EEA/UK: lawful bases include performance of a contract, legitimate interests, consent (where required), and legal obligations. You may have rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, and portability.
• California: you may have rights to know, delete, correct, and opt out of certain sharing. We do not sell personal information or use sensitive personal information for inferring characteristics.
• Other regions: we comply with local laws and will honor region-specific rights where applicable.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described above, to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Verification documents are deleted after review; related audit records may be retained.

Children’s Privacy

Neighborhood Pulse is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our practices or for legal, technical, or business reasons. We’ll post the updated policy and adjust the “Last updated” date. For material changes, we may provide additional notice.

Contact Us

Questions or requests about this policy or your data? Reach us at privacy@Neighborhood Pulse.app.