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MargBuddies
Privacy Policy
Effective date: April 14, 2026

MargBuddies ("we," "us," or "our") is a mobile app for discovering and reviewing margaritas and mixed drinks at bars and restaurants. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your choices.

By using MargBuddies, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect
Account information. When you create an account, we collect your email address, display name, and a profile photo if you choose to upload one. Authentication is handled by Firebase Authentication (Google).

Reviews and content. When you submit a drink review, we collect the venue name and location, drink name, rating, tags (style, rim type), written comment, and any photo you attach. This content is stored in Firebase Firestore and Firebase Storage.

Location data. We request access to your device location while the app is in use so we can show venue pins near you on the map. We do not store your precise location on our servers — it is only used on-device to load nearby venues.

Device and usage data. We collect a push notification token (FCM token) from your device so we can send happy hour reminders for venues you've starred. This token is stored in your account record in Firestore.

Subscription data. If you subscribe to MargBuddies Premium, your purchase is processed entirely by Apple through the App Store. We do not receive or store your payment card or billing details. We receive only a confirmation of your subscription status via StoreKit.

Photos. Photos you attach to reviews are run through a safe-search check before being stored. Photos are stored in Firebase Storage and associated with your review.

2. How We Use Your Information
To display drink reviews and venue ratings on the map
To associate reviews with your public display name and profile
To send push notifications for happy hour at venues you've starred (Premium only)
To allow other users to see your reviews and interact with them (likes)
To enforce our community guidelines and moderate reported content
To verify and manage business account claims
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data for advertising.

3. Third-Party Services
MargBuddies uses the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:

Firebase (Google) — authentication, database, storage, and push notifications. Firebase Privacy Policy
Google Places API — venue search and location data. Google Privacy Policy
Apple StoreKit — in-app subscription processing. Apple Privacy Policy
4. Data Sharing
Your display name, profile photo, and reviews are visible to other MargBuddies users. Your email address is never shown publicly. We do not share your personal data with third parties except as described in Section 3 (service providers) or as required by law.

5. Data Retention
We retain your account data and reviews for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your reviews and profile information will be removed from our servers within 30 days. Some information may be retained in backups for a short period thereafter.

6. Children's Privacy
MargBuddies is intended for users who are 21 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 21. If we become aware that a user is under 21, we will delete their account promptly.

7. Your Choices
Push notifications. You can disable push notifications at any time through your iPhone's Settings app.

Location access. You can revoke location permission at any time in Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → MargBuddies. The app will still work but will default to a Richmond, VA map view.

Account deletion. To delete your account and associated data, contact us at the email below.

8. Security
We use industry-standard practices to protect your data, including HTTPS encryption for all data in transit and Firebase security rules to restrict database access. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we'll update the effective date at the top. For significant changes, we'll notify users through the app. Continued use of MargBuddies after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Questions? If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or want to request deletion of your data, contact us at margbuddies@gmail.com.