Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

When you use City Insiders, we collect information that you provide directly and data generated through your use of the platform:

Account Information

• Email address and username when you create an account
• Profile information you choose to add (display name, bio, avatar)
• Authentication credentials (passwords are stored securely using bcrypt hashing)

User-Generated Content

• Reviews and ratings you submit for venues
• Places you save to your favorites
• Venues you contribute to the platform

Usage Data

• Pages you visit and features you use
• Search queries and filter selections
• Device type, browser, and general location (city-level)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account
• Display your reviews and contributions to other users
• Personalize your experience, including venue recommendations and city-specific content
• Improve the platform through aggregate analytics and usage patterns
• Moderate content to maintain quality and safety (including AI-assisted review analysis)
• Send service-related communications (account verification, security alerts)
• Prevent abuse and enforce our Terms of Service

3. Third-Party Services

City Insiders integrates with the following third-party services:

• OpenStreetMap — Venue data and map tiles are sourced from OpenStreetMap contributors under the Open Database License (ODbL). Your interactions with maps may be subject to tile provider terms.
• Analytics — We use privacy-respecting analytics to understand how the platform is used. We do not sell your data to advertisers.
• AI Services — We use AI models to assist with review moderation and content quality. Review text may be processed by AI services to detect spam and assess sentiment.

4. Data Retention

We retain your account information and user-generated content for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will remove your personal information within 30 days. Some anonymized, aggregate data may be retained for analytical purposes. Reviews and contributions may be retained in anonymized form to preserve the integrity of venue ratings.

5. Your Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access — Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you
• Rectification — Correct inaccurate personal data
• Erasure — Request deletion of your personal data
• Data Portability — Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection — Object to processing of your personal data

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@cityinsiders.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

6. Cookies

City Insiders uses essential cookies to maintain your session and authentication state. We do not use tracking cookies for advertising. Any analytics cookies are privacy-respecting and do not track you across other websites.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), secure password hashing, and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of significant changes via email. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

9. Contact

For any privacy-related questions or concerns, please contact us at privacy@cityinsiders.com.