FUELWATCH PH

PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: April 7, 2026

Last Updated: April 7, 2026

Your privacy matters to us.

FuelWatch PH is a free, community-driven fuel price monitoring app built for Filipino drivers. We collect the minimum information necessary to provide the service, we never sell your data to anyone, and we never show you advertisements. This policy explains exactly what we collect, why, and how you can control it.

1. Who We Are

FuelWatch PH (referred to as "we", "us", or "our") is an independent mobile application developed for Android devices, available on the Google Play Store. We are based in the Philippines and our primary users are Filipino drivers.

Application Name

FuelWatch PH

Platform

Android (Google Play Store)

Developer

FuelWatch PH

Primary Market

Philippines

Contact Email

fuelwatchph@gmail.com

Privacy Page

https://sites.google.com/view/fuelwatchph/privacy-policy

Effective Date

April 7, 2026

2. Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to:

•        The FuelWatch PH Android mobile application

•        Our backend services hosted on Supabase (database, authentication, storage)

•        Our Edge Functions running server-side logic

•        Push notifications delivered via Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)

This policy does not apply to third-party services you may access through links in our app, such as Google Maps, Waze, or the Department of Energy (DOE) website. Those services have their own privacy policies.

3. Information We Collect

3.1  Information You Provide Directly

When you use FuelWatch PH, you may voluntarily provide:

Information

When Provided

Required?

Google Account name and email address

When you sign in with Google

No — only needed to submit prices or confirm data

Google profile photo

When you sign in with Google

No — used for your profile avatar only

Fuel price you observed at a pump

When you submit a price update

No — only if you contribute

New station name, address, and brand

When you add a gas station

No — only if you contribute

Station issue report (type and description)

When you report a station problem

No — only if you contribute

Preferred fuel type and home region

In app settings

No — saved locally and optionally synced

Notification preferences

In app settings

No — saved locally and optionally synced

3.2  Information We Collect Automatically

Device Location

When you open the Home or Map screen, we request your device's GPS location to show nearby fuel stations and prices. Specifically:

•        We use the FusedLocationProviderClient (Google Play Services) to obtain your last known or current location.

•        Location is used only while the app is in the foreground (we never request background location permission).

•        We validate that your location is within the Philippines bounding box. If you are outside the Philippines, the app defaults to Metro Manila without storing your actual location.

•        Your precise location coordinates are not stored on our servers. They are used only to query nearby stations in real time and are discarded immediately after the query.

Authentication Identifier (Anonymous UID)

On first launch, Supabase Auth automatically assigns you an anonymous user ID (UUID). This happens silently with no user action. This anonymous ID:

•        Is stored only on your device and in our Supabase Auth service.

•        Is used to prevent abuse of our database (read-only access without an identity would allow unlimited scraping).

•        Contains no personal information — it is a randomly generated string.

•        Is replaced with your Google Account ID if you choose to sign in with Google.

FCM Device Token

If you sign in with Google and enable any push notifications, Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) generates a device token that allows us to send push notifications to your specific device. This token:

•        Is stored in our Supabase database under your user profile.

•        Is refreshed automatically whenever the token changes.

•        Is deleted from our records if it becomes invalid (device unregistered or app uninstalled).

•        Is never used for advertising or shared with third parties.

•        Can be effectively revoked by turning off all notifications in the app settings or by uninstalling the app.

App Usage Data

We do not use any third-party analytics SDKs (no Firebase Analytics, Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or similar). We do not collect crash reports automatically. We do not track which screens you visit or how long you use the app.

3.3  Information We Do NOT Collect

We do not collect the following:

Precise location history • Contacts or call logs • SMS messages • Photos or camera roll • Microphone or audio • Browsing history • Device identifiers (IMEI, MAC address) • Financial or payment information • Any sensitive personal information • Social media profiles beyond what Google provides on sign-in • Any background location data

4. How We Use Your Information

Purpose

Information Used

Legal Basis

Show nearby fuel stations and prices

Device location (in-memory only, not stored)

Legitimate interest / service functionality

Authenticate your session

Anonymous UUID or Google Account ID

Contract (providing the service)

Display your profile

Google name and profile photo

Consent (you chose to sign in)

Process and store your price submission

Google Account ID, submitted price, station ID

Consent (you chose to submit)

Notify admins of new submissions

Submission content, your Google ID

Legitimate interest (data quality)

Notify you when your submission is approved or rejected

FCM device token, submission result

Consent (you enabled notifications)

Send price drop alerts for stations you follow

FCM token, followed station IDs, alert threshold

Consent (you chose to follow a station)

Send DOE weekly bulletin notifications

FCM token

Consent (you enabled this notification type)

Display and rank contributor leaderboard

Google display name, points total, badge level

Consent (you chose to participate by contributing)

Prevent abuse and ensure data quality

Anonymous UUID or Google Account ID

Legitimate interest (database integrity)

Detect and block invalid price submissions

Submitted price value, fuel type

Legitimate interest (data accuracy)

5. How We Store Your Information

5.1  Server-Side Storage (Supabase)

Our backend database is hosted on Supabase, a cloud platform hosted on Amazon Web Services in the ap-southeast-1 region (Singapore). Singapore is the nearest region to the Philippines, which minimizes latency. Your data is stored in a PostgreSQL database with:

•        Row Level Security (RLS) policies on every table — enforced at the database level, not just application code

•        Encrypted connections (TLS) for all data in transit

•        Encrypted storage for data at rest

•        Access logs audited by Supabase

5.2  On-Device Storage (Room Database)

The app stores a local cache of fuel prices, station data, and your preferences on your device using Android's Room database (SQLite). This local data:

•        Allows the app to function without an internet connection (prices visible offline)

•        Is automatically refreshed when you are online (15-minute freshness window for prices)

•        Never leaves your device — it is not uploaded to our servers

•        Is deleted when you uninstall the app

5.3  Data Retention

Data Type

Retention Period

Deletion Method

Anonymous UID (no Google sign-in)

Until you clear app data or uninstall

Automatic on app removal

Google Account profile (name, email, photo)

Until you delete your account

In-app delete account button, or email us

Price submissions you made

Indefinitely (contributes to community database)

Email us to request removal of your contributions

FCM device token

Until token expires, app is uninstalled, or you sign out

Automatic; cleared from our database within 30 days of invalidation

Notification preferences

Until you change them or delete your account

In-app settings or account deletion

Local Room DB cache

Until app uninstall or manual cache clear

Auto-deleted on uninstall

Sync logs (admin diagnostics)

90 days

Automatic purge

6. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. Ever.

FuelWatch PH generates no revenue from advertising and does not have commercial arrangements with any data brokers, advertisers, or third-party analytics companies. Your data is used solely to operate the app.

We share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

6.1  With Other FuelWatch PH Users (Public Data)

The following information is visible to other users of the app:

•        Your display name and profile photo — shown on price submissions and on the contributor leaderboard if you are ranked

•        Your badge level (Newcomer, Reporter, Contributor, Expert, Legend) — shown publicly

•        The prices you submitted (after admin approval) — associated with your display name on station detail pages

The following is never shown to other users: your email address, your device location, your anonymous UID, your FCM token, your exact submission history details.

6.2  With Service Providers

We use the following third-party services to operate the app. Each acts as a data processor under our instructions:

Provider

What They Process

Purpose

Privacy Policy

Supabase

Database (all server-side data), Auth (UIDs), Storage (profile photos)

Backend infrastructure

supabase.com/privacy

Google Play Services / Firebase

FCM device tokens, anonymous session (anon auth flow helper)

Push notifications only

policies.google.com/privacy

Google Sign-In

Google account ID, name, email, profile photo (on your consent)

Authentication

policies.google.com/privacy

Google Maps SDK

Map tile requests (no personal data sent — tile requests are anonymous)

Map rendering

policies.google.com/privacy

Google Places API

Location search queries you type

PH location autocomplete

policies.google.com/privacy

6.3  Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by Philippine law, a court order, or a legitimate government request. We will notify you of any such request to the extent permitted by law.

6.4  Business Transfer

If FuelWatch PH is ever acquired or merged with another entity, user data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We would notify users in advance and ensure the receiving party honors this policy.

7. Your Rights Under Philippine Law

Under the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, you have the following rights:

7.1  Right to be Informed

You have the right to be informed that your personal data is being collected and processed. This Privacy Policy fulfills that obligation.

7.2  Right of Access

You may request a copy of all personal data we hold about you. To exercise this right, email us at fuelwatchph@gmail.com. We will respond within 15 calendar days.

7.3  Right to Rectification

If your personal data is inaccurate or incomplete, you may correct it directly in the app (profile settings) or by emailing us.

7.4  Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")

You may request deletion of your account and associated personal data. To do this:

•        Use the "Delete Account" button in the app (Profile → Settings → Delete Account), or

•        Email us at fuelwatchph@gmail.com with subject line "Account Deletion Request"

We will delete your account within 30 days. Note: anonymized contribution data (price submissions stripped of your identity) may be retained for community database continuity.

7.5  Right to Object

You may object to the processing of your personal data at any time. The most practical way to exercise this right is to stop using the app and request account deletion.

7.6  Right to Data Portability

You may request a machine-readable export of your personal data (profile, submission history, notification preferences). Email us at fuelwatchph@gmail.com to request this export.

7.7  Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe your rights have been violated, you may lodge a complaint with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) of the Philippines:

National Privacy Commission

privacy.gov.ph

Address

3F Core G, GSIS Headquarters, Financial Center, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, Metro Manila

Hotline

(632) 8234-2228

Email

info@privacy.gov.ph

8. Children's Privacy

FuelWatch PH is not directed at children under 13.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information to us, please contact us immediately at fuelwatchph@gmail.com and we will delete it within 30 days.

9. Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data:

Measure

Details

Database-level access control

Row Level Security (RLS) on every Supabase table — access enforced at the PostgreSQL level, not just app code

Encrypted transit

All data between the app and our servers uses TLS encryption

Encrypted storage

Database contents encrypted at rest by Supabase

Minimum privilege

Anonymous users can only read approved public data. Writes require Google sign-in. Admin access requires explicit manual promotion.

Server-side validation

Price submissions are validated by PostgreSQL CHECK constraints — invalid data cannot be inserted even by direct database access

API key restrictions

Google Maps and Places API keys are restricted to our app's SHA-1 fingerprint and package name. They cannot be used from other apps.

No sensitive permission creep

The app requests only: INTERNET, ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION. No background location, no contacts, no camera, no microphone.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

10. Google Services

FuelWatch PH uses several Google services. Here is how each interacts with your data:

10.1  Google Sign-In

When you tap "Continue with Google", you are redirected to Google's standard OAuth 2.0 sign-in flow. We only receive the information you authorize Google to share: your account ID, display name, email address, and profile photo. We do not receive your Google password or any other Google account data.

10.2  Google Maps SDK for Android

The map tiles you see are loaded from Google's servers. These tile requests are standard HTTP requests and do not include your personal information. Google may collect limited technical information about these requests (such as IP address) according to their own privacy policy.

10.3  Google Places API

When you type in the location search bar, your search query is sent to Google's Places API restricted to the Philippines. Google processes this query according to their privacy policy. We do not store your search queries on our servers — they are saved only locally on your device (last 10 searches, stored in Room DB).

10.4  Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)

Push notifications are delivered via FCM. Your FCM device token is stored in our Supabase database and used solely to send you notifications you have opted into. We use FCM solely as a message delivery mechanism and do not use any other Firebase services (no Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, or Firebase Remote Config).

11. International Data Transfers

Our primary data storage is in Singapore (AWS ap-southeast-1), which is within Southeast Asia and subject to relevant data protection frameworks. When you use Google services (Sign-In, Maps, Places, FCM), your data may be processed by Google on servers in various countries. Google maintains Standard Contractual Clauses and other transfer mechanisms for international data transfers.

We do not transfer your data to any other countries beyond what is described in this policy.

12. Android Permissions

FuelWatch PH requests the following Android permissions:

Permission

Why It's Needed

Can You Deny It?

ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION

To show fuel stations near your current GPS location on the Home and Map screens. The app uses whichever is available; coarse is sufficient for our use case.

Yes — the app still works, but you will need to search manually for your location instead of auto-detecting it.

INTERNET

To fetch station prices and DOE reference data from our servers, and to load map tiles.

No — the app cannot function without internet access for its core features. Cached data is available offline.

POST_NOTIFICATIONS (Android 13+)

To send you push notifications for price approvals, rejections, price drop alerts, and the DOE weekly bulletin.

Yes — the app works fully without notifications. You will not receive price drop alerts or submission status updates.

RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED

To reschedule the WorkManager background sync job after device reboot, ensuring offline-submitted prices are synced when you restart your phone.

Effectively no — this is a system permission granted automatically. It only fires once on boot and does no background processing.

We do not request the following permissions:

READ_CONTACTS • CAMERA • RECORD_AUDIO • READ_CALL_LOG • ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION • READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE • WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE • BLUETOOTH • NFC • BODY_SENSORS • READ_PHONE_STATE

13. Cookies and Tracking

FuelWatch PH is an Android app — it does not use browser cookies. However, the following local storage mechanisms are used:

Storage Type

What's Stored

Purpose

Room Database (SQLite)

Station data, fuel prices, DOE references, recent searches (last 10)

Offline-first caching for fast load and no-internet use

DataStore (Proto)

Preferred fuel type, home region, notification preferences, last sync timestamp

User preferences — never sent to server unless you are signed in

Supabase Auth session token

Your authentication session (JWT), stored securely on device

Keeps you signed in across app restarts

14. Third-Party Links and Services

The app may display or link to the following external services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these services:

•        Google Maps (google.com/maps) — for navigation

•        Waze (waze.com) — for navigation

•        Department of Energy Philippines (doe.gov.ph) — as a reference data source

•        Station Facebook pages — if the station operator has provided one

Tapping a navigation button launches the Google Maps or Waze app on your device. We do not send any data to these apps — they receive only the destination coordinates via a URI deep link.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do:

•        We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this document.

•        For material changes, we will display an in-app notice on the Home screen the first time you open the app after the change.

•        For significant changes (such as new categories of data collection), we will send a push notification to all users who have notifications enabled, at least 30 days before the change takes effect.

•        The current version of this policy is always available at https://sites.google.com/view/fuelwatchph/privacy-policyy and within the app under Settings → Privacy Policy.

Your continued use of the app after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Privacy Contact Information

Email: fuelwatchph@gmail.com Response time: We aim to respond within 5 business days. For account deletion requests: Include "Account Deletion Request" in the subject line. For data export requests: Include "Data Export Request" in the subject line. For complaints: We will acknowledge within 3 business days and provide a full response within 15 days.

For formal privacy complaints or if you are unsatisfied with our response, you may also contact the National Privacy Commission of the Philippines at privacy.gov.ph. 

FuelWatch PH

Sama-sama tayong makatipid — together we save on fuel

fuelwatchph@gmail.com  ·  https://sites.google.com/view/fuelwatchph/privacy-policy