Privacy Policy
BookBarter ("we", "our", or "us") operates the BookBarter mobile application. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our app.
1. Information We Collect
Account Information
When you create an account, we collect:
- Email address — used for authentication and account recovery
- Display name — shown to other users on your profile
- Profile photo — optional, displayed on your profile and in conversations
Location Data
We collect your approximate location (postal code level) to show you books available nearby. Location is used to calculate distances between you and book listings. You can control location access through your device settings.
Book Listings
When you post a book, we collect the book title, author, condition, category, description, and photos you upload.
Messages
We store messages exchanged between users to facilitate book swaps, including text messages and shared meeting locations.
Usage Data
We automatically collect basic usage information such as app interactions, crash reports, and device information to improve the app experience.
2. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services to operate the app:
- Firebase Authentication (Google) — for secure sign-in via email, Google, or Apple
- Cloud Firestore (Google) — to store user profiles, book listings, swap data, and messages
- Firebase Cloud Storage (Google) — to store book photos and profile images
- Google Maps Platform — to display maps and calculate distances for meetup locations
These services may collect and process data according to their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review Google/Firebase Privacy Policy.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use collected information to:
- Provide and maintain the BookBarter service
- Show you books available near your location
- Facilitate communication between swap partners
- Display your profile to other users
- Calculate and display environmental impact statistics
- Send important service-related notifications
- Improve the app and fix bugs
4. Data Sharing
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties.
Your display name, profile photo, and book listings are visible to other BookBarter users. Your email address is never shared with other users.
We may share information if required by law or to protect the safety of our users.
5. Data Retention and Deletion
Your data is stored as long as your account is active. You can request deletion of your account and all associated data at any time by:
- Using the "Delete Account" option in the app settings
- Emailing us at privacy@bookbarter.app
Upon account deletion, we will remove your profile, book listings, and personal data within 30 days. Some anonymized data may be retained for analytics purposes.
6. Data Security
We implement appropriate security measures to protect your data, including encrypted data transmission (TLS/SSL), secure authentication through Firebase, and access controls on our database. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure.
7. Children's Privacy
BookBarter is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data
- Object to processing of your data
- Request data portability
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@bookbarter.app.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We may also update our pricing, features, or service terms. We will notify you of any material changes by posting updates in the app and updating the "Effective date" above.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at: