Privacy Policy - Carpla

PRIVACY POLICY - CARPLA

Effective Date: June 9, 2026

Last Updated: June 9, 2026-

Carpla is a carpooling service operated by S&T Developer. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our mobile application.

1. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

Account Information:

• Phone number - required for OTP-based sign-in via Firebase Authentication

• Name - provided during profile setup

• Profile photo  - stored as encoded data within your profile

• WhatsApp number - used for driver-passenger contact after booking confirmation

• Gender - used for ride preference matching

Vehicle Information (Drivers Only):

• Vehicle make, model

Ride & Booking Data:

• Pickup and drop-off addresses and coordinates

• Ride dates, times, available seats, and contribution amount

• Booking history (rides posted and rides booked)

Device & Technical Data:

• Approximate location - used only while the app is in use, to show nearby rides

• Firebase Cloud Messaging token - used to deliver push notifications

2. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

• To verify your identity via OTP and create your account

• To display rides relevant to your area and preferences

• To facilitate booking, acceptance, and cancellation flows

• To send push notifications about your bookings and ride status

• To enable contact between matched drivers and passengers via WhatsApp

• To prevent fraud, spam, and abuse

3. DATA SHARING & DISCLOSURE

We do NOT sell your personal information to third parties. Information is shared only in these limited ways:

• Between drivers and passengers - once a booking is confirmed, the driver and passenger see each other's name, profile photo, and WhatsApp number to coordinate the ride.

• Service providers - Firebase (Google) for authentication, database, push notifications, and analytics; Google AdMob for serving in-app advertisements.

4. DATA STORAGE & RETENTION

• All data is stored on Google Firebase servers located in the Asia-Southeast region (Singapore).

• Active accounts: data is retained for some time while your account is active.

• Ride records: automatically deleted 30 days after the ride date.

• Account deletion: if you uninstall the app or request account deletion, your profile and active data are removed within 30 days.

5. ADVERTISING

Carpla displays advertisements served by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect device identifiers and limited usage data to serve relevant ads. You can control ad personalization in your device settings under "Ads" or "Privacy".

For more information: https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads

6. YOUR RIGHTS

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data stored in the app (visible in your Profile)

• Update or correct your profile information at any time

• Delete your account by contacting us - all your data will be removed within 30 days

• Withdraw consent for push notifications via your device settings

• Disable location access via your device settings (note: this will limit ride discovery)

7. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Carpla is not intended for users under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If you believe a minor has provided us data, please contact us so we can remove it.

8. SECURITY

We use industry-standard security measures including HTTPS encryption, Firebase Security Rules, and access controls to protect your data. However, no system is 100% secure - please use strong account practices and report suspicious activity immediately.

9. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last Updated" date above will reflect the most recent revision. Significant changes will be communicated within the app.

10. CONTACT US

For privacy concerns, data deletion requests, or any questions about this policy, contact:

S&T Developer

Email: shariq.zrh@gmail.com

Country: Pakistan

© 2026 Carpla / S&T Developer. All rights reserved.