1. The Information We Collect

We collect only the data we need to provide a safe, functional, and enjoyable experience. When you use TrekMeet, we may collect:

• Account Information: Your name, email address, profile photo, and an optional bio. Sign-in is via Google or Apple OAuth.
• Profile & Identity: Optional outdoor profile details you provide during onboarding — experience level, preferred activities, intensity level, and emergency contact (stored locally on your device).
• Event & Plan Data: Events you create, RSVP to, or save; solo plans you create; GPX routes you upload; and any feedback you provide on events or organisers.
• Social & Connections Data: Follows, Trail Bonds (mutual connections), people you have blocked, and any reports you submit. Used to enforce your privacy preferences and community safety.
• Moderation Records: When content is reported, we keep a snapshot of the reported content for review. For chat messages this includes the reported message and up to five surrounding messages, so a reviewer can see the context. Moderation records are kept for up to 12 months, unless we need to keep them longer to meet a legal obligation or for a serious safety matter.
• Chat & Messaging Content: Messages you send in TrekMeet chats — group and event conversations, and direct messages. Stored to deliver the conversation and display history when you re-open a thread.
• Location Data: We use your location for the things you ask for: showing treks near you, placing you on the trail map, setting your home-base area, showing your position on the offline map, and calculating sunset times for where you are. Continuous location recording starts only when you start a trek — one you are recording, or one you have chosen to share live with your group. While that trek is running we keep measuring even when your screen is off or the app is in the background, because that is the only way the distance and the route come out right. A permanent notification sits on your phone the whole time this is happening. It cannot be swiped away, and it ends when you end the trek. We have not asked for Android’s separate “background location” permission and we do not use it, so the app can reach your location only while you are using it or while a trek you started is running.
• Push Notification Tokens: If you enable notifications, we store an anonymous device token (Firebase Cloud Messaging) so we can deliver event reminders and social updates. The token is not linked to your contact details.
• Device & Usage Information: Basic, non-personal information like your operating system, app version, and crash diagnostics, to help us improve performance and resolve issues.
• Beta Bug Reports: When you send a bug report during the beta, the app attaches your app version, device model, operating system version, and connection state. You see what is attached before you send it.
• Media & Photos: If you choose to upload a profile photo or event cover, we request access to your device’s camera or photo gallery.
• Mailing List: If you join our mailing list on trekmeet.com, we store your email address, your name if you choose to give it, and a record of when you signed up and which wording you agreed to. We keep that record so we can show your consent was given. Every email we send carries a one-click unsubscribe link.
• Cookies (web only): We use minimal, essential cookies on trekmeet.com to keep you logged in and remember preferences. We do not use cookies for advertising or third-party tracking.

2. How We Use Your Information

Your data is used to make TrekMeet work well for you. Specifically, we use it to:

• Help you discover and join outdoor events that match your interests.
• Provide organisers with the information they need to run safe, well-managed events.
• Deliver location-sharing features. Live Trek, breadcrumb sharing, and the SOS tools.
• Power social features such as Connections, Trail Bonds, and group chat — respecting the privacy controls you set.
• Review new groups before they go live — a person checks the group’s name, description, and settings against our Community Guidelines.
• Apply those guidelines across the community — accounts that breach them may be suspended or closed, and we keep a record of enforcement decisions.
• Send you important updates, event reminders, and social notifications (which you can toggle in Settings at any time).
• Improve the performance, reliability, and design of the app and website.
• Foster authentic community connections based on shared interests and trust.

TrekMeet does not monitor treks and does not dispatch emergency services. SOS places calls and shares links from your phone. In an emergency, call 000.

3. When We Share Information

Transparency is a core value. We only share your information in a few necessary circumstances:

• With Event Organisers: Your name and RSVP status are shared with organisers of events you join, so they can manage their attendees.
• With Other Members (per your privacy settings): Your display name, profile photo, and chosen public details are visible to people you connect with via Trail Bonds, group membership, or event participation. You control message permissions in Settings (Anyone / Trail Bonds / Off).
• With Service Providers: We use trusted infrastructure partners to operate TrekMeet:
  • Firebase Auth (Google): Sign-in, identity, and authentication.
  • Supabase (PostgreSQL): Cloud database and file storage for syncing your account, plans, events, groups, connections, and messages across devices, and for storing photos you upload. Protected by row-level security.
  • PowerSync: The bidirectional sync engine that keeps your offline-first device data in sync with Supabase.
  • Firestore (Google): Real-time channels for the “Live Trek” GPS feature (location breadcrumbs).
  • Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google): Push notification delivery.
  • Resend (Resend, Inc., USA): Email delivery. When you join our mailing list, or when we send you a service or update email, your email address, your name (if provided) and your subscription status are processed by Resend on servers in the United States, under a data processing agreement incorporating Standard Contractual Clauses. Consent and unsubscribe records stay in our own systems; unsubscribe requests take effect within 48 hours.
  • Cloudflare: Delivers TrekMeet’s own map tiles, styles, and fonts, and runs the spam check (Cloudflare Turnstile) on our website sign-up form. Cloudflare sees standard connection details (such as your IP address) when map tiles load and when that check runs; no account details are shared.
  • MapTiler: Satellite imagery for the satellite map layer. We do not share your account details with MapTiler.
  • OpenMeteo: Weather forecast data for trail conditions. No personal information is shared.
  All providers are held to industry-standard privacy and security obligations.
• For Legal Reasons: We may share information if compelled by law, such as in response to a valid court order or to protect the safety of our community.

4. Your Choices & Controls

You are in control of your data. You can:

• Access and Edit: Update your profile information and privacy preferences directly in the app under Settings. You can request a copy of your personal information at support@trekmeet.com.
• Privacy Settings: Choose who can message you (Anyone / Trail Bonds / Off), toggle online status, last-seen, and precise-location visibility (“Ghost Mode”).
• Notification Preferences: Enable or disable categories of notifications (events, social, safety, system) in Settings.
• Location Permissions: Manage location access via your device settings at any time. The app asks for location the first time you use something that needs it — recording a walk, sharing a Live Trek, the trail map, or treks near you — and it never asks for the separate background-location permission.
• Block & Report: Block any user or report content via the in-app menus. Reports are reviewed against our Community Guidelines. Blocked users cannot contact you or appear in your search results.
• Delete Your Account: You have the right to permanently delete your account and all associated data.
  • In-App: Settings > Account > Delete Account.
  • Web Portal: If you cannot access the app, request deletion at trekmeet.com/delete-account. Web requests are processed manually and completed within 7 days.
  If your account was ever the subject of a report or a moderation decision, we keep those enforcement records — including a reference to the deleted account — after deletion, for safety and legal purposes. They are not visible to other members and are not used for anything else.

For any requests or concerns, please contact us at support@trekmeet.com. We’re here to help.

5. Data Storage & Security

TrekMeet is built local-first: your events, plans, groups, and offline maps live on your device, in the app’s private storage. Cloud sync (where enabled) uses Supabase + PowerSync with row-level security tied to your authenticated identity, so only you and the people you have explicitly connected with can access your data.

Location points shared during a Live Trek are kept only briefly to power the live map — they are automatically deleted within 30 days at the latest, and typically within a day of being recorded. If you discard a trek, its data is deleted immediately. The route you record on a walk is stored on your device and is not uploaded to our servers. If you choose to share that walk, the share link carries a shortened copy of the route that leaves out where it started and where it ended. Authentication is handled by Firebase Auth (Google or Apple OAuth). All data in transit is protected by TLS. Data held by our cloud providers is encrypted at rest on their servers.

We follow security best practices to protect your information from unauthorised access or misuse. No system is perfectly secure, but we treat your data the way we would want our own treated.

6. Children’s Privacy

TrekMeet is intended for users aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us at hello@trekmeet.com and we will delete it promptly.

7. Updates to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, infrastructure, or relevant law. When we make material changes, we will note them at the top of this page and update the “Last updated” date. For significant changes, we will also notify you in the app or by email.

8. Contact Us

Have questions or feedback about your privacy?

Email: hello@trekmeet.com (general) · support@trekmeet.com (privacy and moderation)
Based in: Sydney, Australia