Privacy Policy - HotSpot

1. Introduction

Welcome to HotSpot ("we," "our," or "us"). We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy will inform you about how we look after your personal data and tell you about your privacy rights.

We do not share, sell, or provide your mobile phone number or messaging consent data to third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, date of birth, and profile photo
Profile Data: Username, bio, preferences, and interests
Communication Data: Messages you send through our platform

2.2 Information We Collect Automatically

Location Data: Venue check-in locations (not continuous GPS tracking)
Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers
Usage Data: How you interact with our app, features used, time spent
Log Data: IP address, browser type, access times

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide and maintain our service
To notify you about venue promotions and Hot Alerts
To enable friend-finding features (Connect)
To personalize your experience
To communicate with you about your account
To improve our services and develop new features
To ensure safety and security
To comply with legal obligations

4. Location Data Privacy

Important: We only track venue check-ins, not continuous GPS tracking. Your location is only recorded when you actively check in at a venue. You have full control over:

When you check in at venues
Which friends can see your check-ins
Whether to share your location at all

5. Data Sharing

5.1 We Share Your Data With:

Venue Partners: When you check in at venues, we share aggregated and anonymized analytics (visitor counts, demographics, dwell time) to help them understand foot traffic patterns. When you redeem promotions, we share necessary check-in data including your first name and redemption timestamp.
Friends You Connect With: Your check-in location when you choose to share via Connect
Service Providers: Cloud hosting, analytics, customer support (under strict data protection agreements)
Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect rights and safety

The sharing described above does not include mobile phone numbers or text-messaging opt-in data or consent. We do not share, sell, or provide your mobile phone number or messaging consent data to third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

5.2 We Never:

Sell your personal identifiable data to third parties for marketing purposes
Share your personal data with advertisers without consent
Share, sell, or provide your mobile phone number or messaging consent data to third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes
Track your location continuously (only venue check-ins)
Share your friend connections or social graph with venues

6. SMS and Mobile Messaging

Listing-verification texts are governed only by the SMS Privacy Policy at https://hotspot-us.com/sms-privacy.html and the SMS Terms at https://hotspot-us.com/sms-terms.html. This page does not replace those documents.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including:

Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Regular security audits
Access controls and authentication
Secure data centers

8. Your Privacy Rights

You have the right to:

Access: Request a copy of your personal data
Correction: Update inaccurate or incomplete data
Deletion: Request deletion of your data
Portability: Receive your data in a portable format
Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications
Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@hotspot-us.com

9. Children's Privacy

The consumer app is intended for users 18 years and older. The listing-verification SMS program requires the requester to confirm they are 21 or older. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 18. If we discover such data, we will delete it immediately.

10. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience. See our Cookie Policy for details.

11. Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. You can request deletion at any time.

12. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes via email or in-app notification.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this privacy policy:

Email: privacy@hotspot-us.com
Mail: HotSpot Privacy Team, [Address]