1. Information we collect

Account information: When you sign up, we collect your email address and authentication provider data (Google Sign-In or email/password).

Transactional email: We may send service email (for example event RSVP confirmations or account notices) to the address on your account. Auth verification and password reset use Firebase Authentication email templates.

Profile information: You provide your username, age range, Caribbean territory, interests, phone number, and optionally a profile photo and diaspora country.

Chat and queue data: We store messages you send, queue join requests, match history, and friend connections to provide the service.

Contact matching (optional): If you enable “Find me via contacts,” we store a one-way hash of your phone number so friends who choose Find contacts on the mobile app can match you. We do not upload or store your address book. Contact matching uses hashed numbers only; you can turn this off anytime in Privacy settings.

Usage data: We collect anonymized analytics including app opens, feature usage, and performance metrics through Firebase Analytics and Firebase Performance Monitoring.

Device data: We collect device identifiers (Advertising ID), crash reports (Firebase Crashlytics), and push notification tokens for messaging.

Location data: With your permission, we collect approximate location to show nearby users and verify Caribbean region presence. You can deny this permission.

2. How we use your data

• Provide core services: matching, chat, queue, friend connections
• Authenticate your account and keep it secure
• Send push notifications for messages, matches, and friend requests
• Detect and prevent abuse, spam, and policy violations
• Improve app performance and reliability
• Display relevant ads (you can opt out of personalized ads via device settings)

3. Data sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We share data only:

• With Firebase/Google Cloud (our backend infrastructure provider)
• With Google AdMob for ad delivery (Advertising ID only)
• When required by law or to protect our rights
• Other users see only your public profile (username, photo, territory, interests) and messages you send

4. Data retention

We retain your data while your account is active. To delete your account, follow Delete your account. Profile and messages are removed within 30 days. Some anonymized analytics may be retained for reporting.

5. Children's privacy

Region Chat is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. Users under 18 are not shown ads.

6. Your rights

You can:

• Access and update your data in the app settings
• Delete your account and associated data — see Delete your account
• Opt out of personalized ads via your device's Ads settings
• Revoke location permissions via your device settings
• Request a copy of your data by emailing hello@regioncaribbean.com

7. Third-party services

We use the following third-party services:

• Firebase (Google LLC) — authentication, database, storage, analytics, crash reporting, performance monitoring, cloud messaging, remote config. Google Privacy Policy
• Google AdMob (Google LLC) — in-app advertising. Google Privacy Policy

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. We will notify you of material changes via the app or email. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

9. Contact

Questions about this policy? Email us at hello@regioncaribbean.com.