Privacy Policy
In short: Yakınım is an app for families to share their live location with each other, with consent.
- Location sharing is off by default. Only you can turn it on, and you can turn it off at any time.
- Your location is visible only to members of the groups you join. Your data is not used for advertising and is not sold to anyone.
- When you turn sharing off, your current location is deleted from the server.
- No name, email address or phone number is needed to create an account; an anonymous account is used.
1. Scope and data controller
This policy applies to the Yakınım mobile app and to the invite pages at yakinim-5850a.web.app. The data controller is the developer of Yakınım ("Yakınım", "we"). Personal data is processed under the Turkish Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (KVKK) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
2. Data we collect
2.1 Account and profile
- Anonymous account ID: When the app is first opened, Firebase Authentication creates a random, anonymous user ID. No name, email address, phone number or password is requested.
- Display name: The name you enter so group members can recognise you (up to 30 characters). It does not have to be your real name.
2.2 Group (family) information
- The group name, who created it and the member list. A group can have up to 10 members, and a user can be in up to 5 groups.
- Invite codes: Single-use codes, valid for 24 hours, used to join a group. Codes are stored on the server only in hashed (SHA‑256) form.
2.3 Location data
Location data is sent from your device to the server only while you have location sharing turned on. Each reading contains:
- Latitude, longitude and accuracy (in metres),
- The time of the reading,
- Optionally, speed (km/h) and battery level.
Location data is written only to the groups you share with. While sharing is on, your location keeps updating on iOS and Android even when the screen is locked or another app is in the foreground; for this the operating system asks for "background location" permission. When you turn sharing off, updates stop and your current location is deleted from the server. Location data is not written to the device's disk cache.
2.4 Safe zones
Group members can define safe zones such as "home", "work" or "school". A zone consists of a name, a type, a centre coordinate and a radius (100–2000 metres) and is visible to all members of the group. While sharing is on, entering or leaving a zone creates an event that is sent to group members as a notification. Notification text never contains coordinates; it only names the person and the zone.
2.5 SOS requests
When you send an SOS, group members are notified. The SOS record contains who sent it, when, and (if the device allows) a one-off location for that moment. The SOS feature does not call emergency services; it only reaches people in your group.
2.6 Push notification data
To deliver group events to you, your device's notification token (FCM/APNs) and platform (iOS/Android) are stored with your account. Only you and the server can access this token.
2.7 Usage and error data
- Firebase Analytics: Aggregate usage events about which features are used. Your name and precise location are not added to analytics events.
- Firebase Crashlytics: App crash and error reports (device model, operating system version, stack trace).
The app does not use ad networks, advertising identifiers (IDFA/GAID) or third-party tracking SDKs.
2.8 Invite pages
Invite links of the form /j/<CODE> carry only the invite code. These pages do not use cookies, do not run analytics and are not indexed by search engines. The hosting provider (Firebase Hosting) may keep standard server access logs (IP address, time, requested URL) for security and operations.
3. Why we process data and on what legal basis
| Purpose | Data used | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Creating and joining groups, showing the member list | Anonymous ID, display name, group information, invite code | Providing the service (performance of a contract) |
| Sharing live location with group members | Location readings, speed, battery | Explicit consent (you turn sharing on and can withdraw at any time) |
| Safe zone entry/exit notifications | Location, zone definitions, event records | Explicit consent / providing the service |
| SOS notification | SOS record, one-off location, notification tokens | Providing the service |
| Sending notifications | Device notification token, platform | Providing the service |
| Preventing abuse (rate limits) | Anonymous ID, action counters | Legitimate interest |
| Improving the app and fixing errors | Analytics and crash data | Legitimate interest |
4. Who we share data with
- Your group members: Your display name, your location while sharing is on, safe zones, zone events and SOS records are visible only to members of the groups you have joined. Members of other groups and other users cannot access this data.
- Google Firebase (processor): Google LLC's Firebase infrastructure is used for authentication, the database (Cloud Firestore), server functions, notifications (Firebase Cloud Messaging), analytics and crash reports. Data is stored in Google's data centres in the United States (multi-region nam5 location). Google processes the data on our instructions; see Firebase Privacy and Security for details.
- Apple and Google notification services: Notifications are delivered through the Apple Push Notification service and Firebase Cloud Messaging. Notification content includes the person's and zone's names, never coordinates.
- Map provider: Google Maps is used to display the map; while the map loads, your device communicates with Google's map services.
- App stores: If you buy a Yakınım Plus subscription, payment is handled entirely by the App Store or Google Play. We never see your card details; we only learn from the store whether the subscription is active.
- RevenueCat (processor): RevenueCat, Inc. is used to verify subscription status with the stores. RevenueCat receives your anonymous user ID and the purchase information reported by the store (product, purchase and expiry dates, cancellation or refund status); no location data is sent. See the RevenueCat Privacy Policy for details.
We do not share or sell your data to any third party for advertising or marketing. No other transfer takes place except where required by law (a court order or a request from a competent authority).
5. Retention
| Data | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Current location | Deleted immediately when sharing is turned off or you leave the group. Each new reading replaces the previous one. |
| Sharing sessions and route points | Location points recorded while sharing is on are kept with the session as route history visible to group members. Kept for 90 days and then deleted automatically. On the free plan group members can see the last 7 days; Yakınım Plus subscribers can see the full 90 days. |
| Zone entry/exit events, sharing start/stop events, low battery events | 90 days, then deleted automatically. The free plan shows the last 7 days; Plus shows 90 days. Automatic deletion may be delayed by a few hours. |
| SOS records and SOS location | 7 days, then deleted automatically. |
| Invite codes (hashed) | Valid for 24 hours; deleted when used or expired. |
| Rate limit counters | Up to 1 day. |
| Display name, group membership, safe zones | Until you leave the group or the account is deleted. Your member record is deleted when you leave a group. |
| Notification token | Until you uninstall the app, turn off notifications or the account is deleted. |
| Analytics and crash data | Subject to Firebase's default retention (Analytics user-level data up to 14 months, Crashlytics 90 days). |
6. Location permissions — you are in control
- The app can be used to create and join groups and receive notifications without location permission.
- Location sharing can be turned on and off separately for each group.
- You can revoke location permission in your operating system settings at any time; sharing then stops.
- Joining a group through an invite does not share your location automatically.
7. Your rights
Under Article 11 of KVKK and the GDPR, you have the right to know whether your data is processed, to request information, to have it corrected or deleted, to object to processing and to request data portability. You can exercise most of these rights directly in the app:
- You can change your display name at any time.
- Turning off location sharing deletes your current location from the server.
- Leaving a group deletes your member record and your location from that group; the group's past event records and route points are deleted automatically within 90 days at the latest.
- To have your account deleted entirely, contact us through the channel below; your request will be fulfilled within 30 days at the latest. Because accounts are anonymous, please include the user ID shown in the app's settings screen with your request.
Deleting the app from your device does not automatically delete your anonymous account, but you may no longer be able to access that account. In that case remaining data is deleted at the end of the retention periods above or on request. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Turkish Personal Data Protection Authority (KVKK) or, where the GDPR applies, with your local supervisory authority.
8. Children
Yakınım is designed for use within families. Children under 13 should use the app only with the knowledge and supervision of a parent or guardian. Location sharing, regardless of age, can only be turned on by the person using the device. To request deletion of your child's data, please contact us.
9. Security
- All communication between the device and the server is encrypted with TLS; data is stored encrypted on Google's infrastructure.
- All data writes are validated on the server; clients cannot write to the database directly.
- Access rules ensure that each user can reach only the data of their own groups.
- Invite codes are not stored in plain text, and per-account rate limits apply.
No system is completely secure. If you notice a security vulnerability, please let us know.
10. Changes
We may update this policy from time to time. For significant changes we will notify you in the app. The current version is always published at this address; the "Last updated" date at the top shows the most recent change.
11. Contact
For questions about this policy, your data or account deletion requests, please use the developer contact details on the app's App Store and Google Play pages.
Yakınım · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · yakinim-5850a.web.app