FindAround privacy notice and upload terms
2026-10-11-1
Who handles your information
Operated by Hawki. Privacy contact: [email protected]. Account details and uploaded information are stored on servers in Hong Kong. Email us to request access, corrections, deletion or withdrawal of consent. Apple also notifies our server when you disable email forwarding, revoke authorization or delete your Apple Account. Revoking authorization signs you out without deleting your app records; permanently deleting your Apple Account deletes the associated app account and data. To prevent duplicate processing, we keep a hashed notification identifier for up to 30 days, without the signed notification, email or Apple user identifier.
Accounts and sync
Email registration requires your email, password and an email verification code. Your email is used for verification and account services and is not publicly displayed. Passwords are stored as salted hashes. The server stores your nickname, avatar choice, bio, saved places, recommendations, and the version and time of your consent for login, cross-device sync and community scores. Guest records are not automatically uploaded when you log in. You can also sign in with Apple. We store the stable identifier Apple provides, your login source, and an email or private relay address if supplied. No Apple password is collected. An encrypted Apple refresh token is stored to check authorization and revoke it when you delete your account. Apple and email identities are not automatically merged, even if they have the same email address.
Location is optional
Registration does not require location access. iOS asks separately when you use Discover or the nearby map, which searches Apple MapKit with your current location. You can still browse manually if you decline. For nearby community places, the server temporarily processes the center of the area you are viewing without storing location history. Adding a place saves only the coordinates you manually select and confirm; it does not automatically upload your device location. You can turn off location access in iOS Settings.
Photos, places and reviews
We upload a place name, address, coordinates, photo or review only when you actively choose and submit it. The system photo picker shares only your selected photos, without access to the entire library. Compressed images have EXIF and other metadata removed, but visible faces, door numbers and other details may still contain personal information; edit these before submitting. Content is initially visible only to you and the operator for review. Once approved, it is shown to other logged-in app users with your nickname, never your email. A written review does not automatically count as a recommendation vote.
Upload permission and content rules
You retain the rights to your original content. For each submission, separately confirm that you have permission to upload it and allow its storage, compression and display for place information, moderation and this app's services. Submit only genuine experiences and photos you may use. Do not upload another person's private information, unlawful, harassing or infringing content. This permission does not include advertising, resale or model training. Delete content from My contributions to stop future display, or use Report to flag inappropriate content.
Service providers and Hong Kong storage
Apple also processes Sign in with Apple authorization under its privacy rules. Apple processes map searches under its privacy rules. Resend processes recipient email addresses and verification emails for delivery; its processing locations may differ from our Hong Kong application server. HTTPS traffic passes through Cloudflare to our Hong Kong server. If you use the app outside Hong Kong, account details and content you upload are transferred to Hong Kong. You can try 5 cards and browse the map without an account, and remain a guest if you do not wish to transfer account details. Emails sent to our support address are processed by Cloudflare Email Routing and forwarded to the operator’s Microsoft Outlook mailbox; this includes the sender address, message and attachments. These email providers may process data outside Hong Kong. Please do not email passwords or verification codes.
Retention and deletion
Verification codes expire after 30 minutes and allow at most 5 attempts. Login sessions last up to 7 days. To prevent abuse, we temporarily process request IP addresses, email digests and request counts. Account data is kept while the account exists; you can delete contributions at any time. Deleting an account removes its profile, contributions, photos, saved places, recommendations and sessions from the live database. Encrypted transport does not mean backups are deleted instantly: server backups rotate out after approximately 14 days and are not used for routine display. Temporary security counters are cleared after expiry. Access logs do not record passwords, verification codes or upload bodies.
Your choices
The privacy checkbox is off by default. You can browse as a guest without accepting it. Location access, photo selection and each upload confirmation are separate choices. In Footprint, you can read this notice, delete contributions, log out or delete your account. Turning off location does not affect your account. Children under 14 must not register for this app; other minors should use it under a guardian's guidance. A material change in processing purpose will result in a new notice version and a request for renewed consent.