Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026. Your privacy matters. Here is exactly what we collect, why, and how we protect it.

What we collect

We collect data only as needed to deliver our service:

Account info: name, email, phone, date of birth, gender, photo
Verification: Aadhaar number (hashed), phone OTP, email confirmation
Trip info: destinations, dates, expenses, members, messages
Payment info: UPI ID, transaction IDs (full card numbers never stored)
Device info: IP address, browser, OS - for security and analytics

How we use your data

To match you with relevant trips and travelers
To process payments and settle group expenses
To send trip reminders, payment confirmations, and important updates
To detect fraud and protect the community
To improve our platform via aggregated, anonymized analytics

What we never do

Sell your data to advertisers or data brokers
Share your phone or UPI ID without your permission
Use your photos for marketing without consent
Track your location outside the app

Your rights

You can:

Access: Download all your data at any time from Settings.
Correct: Edit profile, trip info, and payment details freely.
Delete: Request full account deletion - processed within 7 days.
Restrict: Toggle privacy on profile visibility, UPI ID, age, etc.

How we protect your data

End-to-end encryption for chats
Bcrypt-hashed passwords (12 rounds)
Aadhaar numbers stored as one-way hashes only
HTTPS everywhere, HSTS enforced
Daily encrypted backups to AWS S3
Regular security audits

Cookies and tracking

We use minimal first-party cookies for session management. We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any third-party trackers without your explicit consent (you will see a banner on first visit).

Data location

All data stored in AWS Mumbai region (ap-south-1). Backups in Singapore (ap-southeast-1) for disaster recovery.

Contact

Privacy questions? Email privacy@fellowtraveler.app or fill our contact form. Indian users can also reach our Data Protection Officer at the same address.