Privacy Policy

Last updated: 12 October 2026

This policy explains what personal data Gotcha collects, why, and what rights you have. We've kept it plain and short on purpose.

Gotcha ("Gotcha", "we", "our", "us") operates the gotcha.ing website and the Gotcha mobile app (together, the "Services"), an independent product currently in beta and based in the United Kingdom. For anything in this policy, contact us at frank@gotcha.ing.

We are the "data controller" for the personal data described here. We follow the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who can use Gotcha

Gotcha is for adults. You must be 18 or over to create an account or post a review. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe someone under 18 is using Gotcha, email us and we'll remove the account.

2. What we collect

You give us:

Account details — your name or chosen display name, email address, and phone number (used to verify you're a real person).
Profile details — anything you add, such as a photo, bio, or interests.
Your content — the reviews, scores, photos, reactions, saves, and follows you create in the app.

We collect automatically when you use the app:

Usage and device data — app actions, approximate device type, and basic diagnostics, so the app works and we can fix problems.
Location (only if you allow it) — to show venues near you. You can turn this off in your device settings at any time; the app still works without it.

From other sources:

Venue information comes from Google Places. This is information about businesses, not about you.

We do not collect special-category data (such as health, religion, or political views), and we ask you not to put such data in your reviews.

3. Why we use it, and our legal basis

What we use it for	Legal basis (UK GDPR)
Creating and running your account	Performance of a contract (our Terms)
Verifying you're a real adult (phone + email)	Legitimate interests (trust and safety)
Showing and sharing the reviews you post	Performance of a contract
Keeping Gotcha safe (spam, fraud, moderation)	Legitimate interests
Showing nearby venues	Consent (device location permission)
Fixing bugs and improving the app	Legitimate interests
Contacting you about your account or legal notices	Legitimate interests / legal obligation

Where we rely on consent (such as location), you can withdraw it at any time.

4. Your reviews are public

Gotcha is a public, social platform. The reviews, scores, photos, display name, and profile you post are visible to other users and may be shared by them (for example, via a link sent on WhatsApp). Don't post anything you wouldn't want to be public. We explain how long reviews stay up in our Terms of Service.

5. Who we share data with

We don't sell your personal data. We share it only with service providers who help us run the app, under contract and only as needed:

Supabase — our database and authentication provider (hosts your account and content; EU/UK region).
Google Places — provides venue information (we send search terms, not your identity).
Expo / Apple / Google — app delivery, builds, and (for the beta) TestFlight distribution.
An SMS provider — to send phone-verification codes.

We may also disclose data if the law requires it, or to protect the rights and safety of our users.

6. Where your data is stored

Your account and content are stored on servers in the UK/EU region. Some providers (such as Apple or Google) may process limited data outside the UK/EU; where they do, they rely on legally recognised safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or equivalent standard contractual clauses.

7. How long we keep it

Your account and content — for as long as your account is open.
If you delete your account — we delete your personal data and your reviews, usually within 30 days, except anything we must keep by law or to resolve a dispute.
Basic logs — kept for a short period for security and diagnostics, then deleted.

You can delete your account at any time from within the app.

8. Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you can ask us to:

access the personal data we hold about you;
correct it if it's wrong;
delete it ("right to be forgotten");
restrict or object to how we use it;
port it to another service.

To exercise any of these, email frank@gotcha.ing. We'll respond within one month. You also have the right to complain to the UK's data regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk — though we'd appreciate the chance to put things right first.

9. Security

We use industry-standard measures (encrypted connections, access controls, a trusted hosting provider) to protect your data. No system is perfectly secure, but we take this seriously and will tell you and the ICO if a breach ever affects your rights.

10. Changes to this policy

As Gotcha grows out of beta, this policy will change. We'll update the date at the top and, for significant changes, let you know in the app.

Gotcha is an independent beta product based in the United Kingdom. Contact: frank@gotcha.ing.

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