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Galveston Island Bus & Trolley

Privacy Policy for iOS Mobile Application

Effective Date: May 29, 2026 Version 1.0

Welcome! We value your trust and are fully committed to protecting your privacy. The Galveston Island Bus & Trolley app provides public transit schedules, ferry information, interactive maps, and arrival alerts for Galveston Island, Texas.

This privacy policy explains exactly how we collect, use, and safe-keep information relative to your mobile device.

🛡️ 1. Summary of Our Data Philosophy

We believe in absolute data minimization. **We do not run backend servers that track your identity, your locations, or your routes.** The vast majority of processing and storage occurs entirely locally on your device, ensuring maximum confidentiality and security.

📍 2. Location Services (Local Processing Only)

When you grant the app location permissions, the app uses your geographic location solely to:

  • Display your current position relative to bus stops, trolley routes, and the ferry landing on the interactive explorer map.
  • Calculate which bus stops are closest to you so you can quickly find scheduling details.

Strict Privacy Boundary: Your GPS location data is processed entirely in real-time, on-device. It is never uploaded, transmitted, or shared with us or any third parties.

🔔 3. Notification & Alert Services

If you choose to schedule a reminder (by clicking the "Remind Me" bell button for bus arrivals):

  • The alert is registered directly with the iOS system's **Local Notification Center** on your device.
  • The app calculates the arrival difference on-device and prompts you at the appropriate time.

No remote push-notification servers are used for transit alerts, meaning your choice of bus stops, lines, and travel times remains strictly confidential to your device.

💾 4. On-Device Storage (UserDefaults)

Preferences such as starred favorite stops, scheduled alert states, and App Store review metrics are stored in your device's private, sandbox storage area (`UserDefaults`). We cannot view this data, and it is cleared automatically if you delete the app from your device.

🎯 5. Third-Party Services & Family-Safe Ads

To help keep the app free and sustainable, we display G-rated, non-personalized advertising placements provided by **Google AdMob**.

AdMob may collect and process device-related data, such as:

  • Device IP address (for general location inference, e.g., city-level).
  • Non-sensitive device identifiers (like the ID for Advertisers (IDFA) or vendor ID) solely for frequency capping and analytics.
  • Performance diagnostics and diagnostic reports.

All ad placements in this app are configured as family-friendly (restricted to G-rating) and comply with general safe-harbor protections. For more info, please review the Google Privacy & Terms Policy.

👶 6. Children's Privacy

Our app is safe for users of all ages and is rated 4+ on the App Store. We do not knowingly collect, request, or harvest any personal data from children under the age of 13. If any third-party ad networks process anonymous telemetry, it is restricted to comply with child-safe advertising regulations.

✉️ 7. Contact Us

If you have any questions or feedback regarding this Privacy Policy or your privacy while using the app, please feel free to reach out to our team:

📧 Email: support@paynebrain.com