# Privacy Policy (R1 Draft)

**Last Updated:** February 2026  
**Effective Date:** Upon Pilot Launch  
**Version:** R1 Draft for Founder Review

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## 1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how PeerShip collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use our platform.

**Our Commitment:**
- We collect only what's necessary to provide our service
- We don't sell your personal data to third parties
- We use industry-standard security practices
- We're transparent about what we do with your data

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## 2. Information We Collect

### 2.1 Account Information
- **Name:** Displayed on your profile and listings
- **Email:** For account access and important notifications
- **Profile Photo:** Optional, shown on your profile
- **Telegram Username:** Optional, for alternative contact method

### 2.2 Listing Information
- **Route Details:** Origin and destination cities (public on listings)
- **Trip/Shipment Dates:** When you're traveling or need delivery
- **Item Descriptions:** What you're sending or willing to carry
- **Price Expectations:** Displayed on listings

### 2.3 Usage Data
- **Device Information:** Browser type, operating system, IP address
- **Activity Logs:** Pages visited, features used, time spent
- **Communication Metadata:** Message timestamps (not content)
- **Event Tracking:** Funnel analytics for platform improvement

### 2.4 Analytics and Attribution
- **UTM Parameters:** Marketing campaign attribution (source, medium, campaign)
- **Referral Data:** How you found PeerShip
- **Conversion Events:** Signup, listing creation, deal completion

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## 3. How We Use Your Information

### 3.1 Core Service Delivery
- Match Senders with Travelers on compatible routes
- Display your listings to potential matches
- Enable communication between matched users
- Send transaction-related notifications

### 3.2 Trust and Safety
- Calculate trust badges based on completed deals
- Detect and prevent spam or abuse
- Investigate reports of misconduct
- Maintain platform integrity

### 3.3 Platform Improvement
- Analyze usage patterns to improve UX
- Track conversion funnels to optimize flows
- Identify popular routes and features
- Debug technical issues

### 3.4 Communication
- Account notifications (password reset, security alerts)
- Deal updates (new messages, status changes)
- Marketing communications (only with explicit consent)
- Platform announcements (feature updates, policy changes)

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## 4. Information Sharing

### 4.1 With Other Users
When you create a listing or deal, other users can see:
- Your display name and profile photo
- Your listing details (routes, dates, descriptions)
- Your trust badge status
- Your Telegram username (only if you linked it)

**We do NOT share:**
- Your email address
- Your exact location (only cities)
- Private messages between users
- Your IP address or device details

### 4.2 With Service Providers
We use third-party services for:
- **Hosting:** Cloud infrastructure (AWS/similar)
- **Analytics:** Event tracking and funnel analysis
- **Email:** Transactional email delivery
- **Maps:** City autocomplete and geocoding

These providers only access data necessary to perform their services.

### 4.3 Legal Requirements
We may disclose information if required by:
- Court order or legal process
- Law enforcement request (with proper legal basis)
- Protection of our rights, property, or safety
- Prevention of illegal activity

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## 5. Data Retention

### 5.1 Active Accounts
- Profile data: Retained while account is active
- Listings: Retained indefinitely (marked as completed/expired)
- Messages: Retained for 24 months
- Activity logs: Retained for 12 months

### 5.2 Deleted Accounts
- Profile data: Deleted within 30 days of account deletion
- Listings: Anonymized (author removed, content retained)
- Messages: Anonymized (usernames removed)
- Analytics: Aggregated and anonymized

### 5.3 Legal Holds
Some data may be retained longer if required for:
- Legal compliance
- Fraud investigation
- Dispute resolution
- Safety concerns

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## 6. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

- **Access:** Request a copy of your personal data
- **Correction:** Update inaccurate information
- **Deletion:** Request deletion of your data (with limitations)
- **Portability:** Export your data in a standard format
- **Objection:** Opt out of certain data uses
- **Restriction:** Limit how we process your data

**To exercise these rights:** Email hello@peership.app with your request.

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## 7. Security Measures

We implement:
- Encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
- Encrypted data at rest
- Rate limiting to prevent abuse
- Regular security reviews
- Access controls for staff

**However:** No system is 100% secure. Use strong passwords and report suspicious activity.

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## 8. International Data Transfers

- Primary servers: European Union (GDPR compliant)
- Backup locations: Encrypted and access-controlled
- If we expand to other regions, we'll update this policy

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## 9. Children's Privacy

- PeerShip is not intended for users under 18
- We do not knowingly collect data from minors
- If we discover underage use, we'll delete the account

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## 10. Changes to This Policy

- We'll notify you of material changes via email
- Continued use constitutes acceptance of changes
- Last updated date always shown at top of policy

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## 11. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions:
- Email: hello@peership.app
- Subject line: "Privacy Question"
- Response time: Within 48 hours