Spott — Privacy Policy

Effective: 2026-05-08

This Privacy Policy describes how Spott ("we", "the app") collects, uses, and shares information about you. By creating an account, you agree to the practices described below.

Spott is built and operated by Nolan Severns. Contact: support@spottnow.com.

1. Information we collect

We collect only what we need to make the app work. Specifically:

Account info

Email address (for sign-in and password reset)
Date of birth (for age verification — Spott is 18+ only)
Display name and pronouns

Profile content

Photos you upload (up to 6 profile photos + photo stories)
A short bio, interests, position, body type, tribe, ethnicity, relationship status, HIV status, last-tested date, looking-for
Daily prompt answers and voice intros (recorded audio, ≤ 30 seconds)

Verification

A selfie you upload for human review. Selfies are stored in encrypted-at-rest cloud storage, viewable only by you and a small number of admins. They are never shown to other users and are deleted 90 days after verification approval.

Location

Your approximate device location, rounded to a ~500-meter grid before it leaves your phone. Spott never receives your exact GPS coordinates. We use rounded coordinates to compute a one-letter distance bucket ("less than a mile", "about 3 miles") for other users to see. Your bucket is the only location info other users see.

Device + push

Expo push tokens, used to send you direct-message notifications.
A standard set of crash logs (no personal information) for stability.

Activity

Swipes, matches, blocks, reports.
Profile views (who looked at your profile in the last 7 days; visible only to you).
Direct messages and reactions, stored encrypted in transit and at rest.

We do not collect:

Your real name (unless you put it in your display name).
Your contact list.
Your camera roll outside the photo you select.
Browsing history outside Spott.
Behavioural advertising signals — we do not run ad networks.

2. How we use your information

We use your information to:

Match you with nearby queer people consistent with your filters and intent mode (Casual / Dating / Both).
Operate verification and DM gating (verified profiles only) to reduce catfishing.
Operate safety features: block/report, automated photo moderation via Google Cloud Vision SafeSearch, rate-limited swipes/messages.
Send you push notifications when you receive a DM, match, or admin action notice.
Respond to support tickets you open in the app.
Detect and respond to violations of our Terms of Service.

We do not sell your information, ever.

We do not use your data to train AI/ML models or share it with third parties for advertising.

3. Third-party processors

The app runs on the following third-party infrastructure. Each is contractually obligated to protect your data:

Google Firebase (Authentication, Firestore, Cloud Storage, Cloud Functions, Cloud Vision SafeSearch). Subject to Google's privacy policy. Data resides in us-central1.
Apple Push Notification Service + Expo Push (push delivery). Notifications carry minimal payloads (sender's display name, message preview).

We do not use Facebook SDK, AdMob, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or any other analytics/ad-tech provider.

4. Sharing with other users

What other Spott users can see:

Your display name, pronouns, age, photos, bio, interests, position, body type, tribe, HIV status, last-tested date, looking-for, daily prompt answer, voice intro.
Your distance bucket (rounded — never exact location).
Your verification badge.
Whether you have an active story in the last 24 hours.

What other users cannot see:

Your email or date of birth.
Your verification selfie.
Who else you've swiped on, matched with, or messaged.
Your block list, report history, or support ticket history.

You can hide your age, distance bucket, or online status from other users via Settings → Privacy.

5. Your rights

Access + export. Settings → Account → Export my data triggers a JSON download of everything we have about you.

Correction. Edit your profile any time in Settings → Edit Profile.

Deletion. Settings → Account → Delete account permanently removes your profile, photos, messages, swipes, matches, support tickets, and verification selfie within 30 days. This is irreversible.

Withdraw consent. Sign out + delete the app at any time. Your data remains stored under our retention rules (below) until you actively delete the account.

EU/UK/CA residents: you have the rights granted under GDPR, UK GDPR, and Quebec's Law 25 respectively. We act as the data controller for your information. Contact support@spottnow.com to exercise any right.

California residents: you have the rights granted under CCPA / CPRA, including the right to know, delete, correct, and opt out of "sale" or "sharing" — neither of which we do.

6. Retention

Active accounts: we retain your data for as long as you keep your account.
Deleted accounts: most fields are removed immediately; a small set of audit logs (block, report, ban records) are retained for up to 12 months for safety compliance.
Verification selfies: deleted 90 days after approval, or immediately on rejection.
Stories: deleted automatically 24 hours after posting.
Messages: retained while the chat exists; deleted with the account.

7. Security

We use HTTPS for all network traffic, server-side Firestore Security Rules, signed-URL access for cloud storage, and rate-limited APIs. Verification selfies are accessible only to you and authorized admins under a custom Firebase Auth claim.

Despite reasonable security measures, no system is impenetrable. If you suspect your account has been compromised, contact us at support@spottnow.com immediately.

8. Children

Spott is 18+ only. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If we learn we have, we will delete the account and data. Sign-up enforces a date-of-birth gate.

9. International users

The app is operated from the United States. By using Spott from outside the US, you consent to the transfer of your data to the US for processing.

10. Changes to this policy

We will notify you in-app for any material change to this policy and update the "Effective" date at the top.

11. Contact

Email: support@spottnow.com