Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to the WhereIs.Gay website and mobile apps, operated by Mednesia Ltd (trading as WhereIs.Gay), Unit 11, Hove Business Centre, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 6HA. It explains how we collect, use and protect data when you use our services.

This policy does not extend to third-party websites linked from WhereIs.Gay. We recommend reading the privacy policy of any external service before using it.

We may collect the following data when you use our website or mobile apps:

• Contact information you submit via our contact form (name, email and message)
• Venue submission or owner-account details used to manage a listing
• Review submissions (star rating, review text, optional name and visit date)
• Technical data such as IP address, browser, device type, pages visited and referring URLs

Reviewer email addresses are used for administration and are never shown publicly.

The public mobile app does not require an account. Places you save are stored only on your device and are not uploaded to WhereIs.Gay or synced between devices. You can remove them in the app, clear the app's data, or uninstall the app.

Location access is optional and requested only after you choose a location feature such as Near me or Use my location. When you choose a nearby search, the app sends a location-derived search area to Supabase so it can return nearby venues. This data is used for app functionality, not advertising or cross-app tracking. The map provider and your operating system may process location data under their own policies.

If you rate or review a venue in the mobile app, we receive the star rating, review text and any name you choose to provide. The app also sends a random installation identifier, which we store only as a one-way hash to reduce duplicate ratings and misuse. It does not identify your device elsewhere and is not used for advertising or cross-app tracking. Reviews are checked by our moderation team before publication.

We use data we collect to:

• Respond to contact, venue submission and owner-account enquiries
• Review and moderate submitted venue reviews before publication
• Process venue claim, edit and report requests
• Improve our website, apps and services
• Maintain records and meet legal obligations

Personal data you submit is retained only for as long as needed for these purposes or as required by law. We do not sell personal data.

The website uses Google Analytics, via Google Tag Manager, to understand how visitors use the site. It may set cookies and collect usage data such as pages viewed, session duration and approximate location. Google processes this data under its privacy policy.

Anonymous usage analytics in the mobile app are off by default and run only if you opt in. They do not include search text, precise location, email addresses or saved places. Crash diagnostics may collect technical information about the app version, device and failure, but do not include account details. These services are used only when configured in the app.

The website uses first-party cookies to remember preferences and may use third-party cookies for services such as analytics. You can disable cookies in your browser, although some website features may not work as intended. The mobile app does not use browser cookies for saved places.

Data submitted through contact, venue, review and listing-feedback forms is sent to our team for handling and may be stored in our email and database systems. Approved reviews may be displayed publicly without the reviewer's email address. Pending and rejected reviews are available only to our moderation team.

We may use providers including Google (Analytics, Maps, Places), Apple (maps and app distribution), Yelp (business data), Resend (email), Supabase (database), Vercel (hosting), Expo (app services and optional analytics) and Sentry (crash diagnostics). Each provider operates under its own privacy policy and terms.

Venue ratings and review data may be sourced from Google and Yelp. WhereIs.Gay does not control how those providers collect or use data.

You can request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal data we hold about you. Venue owners can also request deletion of their web account. Please visit our account deletion page or contact us.

If you are in the UK or EU, you may lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority. In the UK, this is the ICO at ico.org.uk.

We may update this policy as our services change. Updates will be posted here with a revised date. Continued use after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Questions about privacy? Contact us or email hello@whereis.gay.