BobaScout Privacy Policy
BobaScout is an iPhone app and website for finding boba and tea shops and reviewing drinks. It is run by Asian Digital Mind LLC, a company in Southern California, USA ("we", "us"). This policy explains what we collect, why, who can see it, and how to delete it.
The short version
- We collect what the app needs to work: your account, your profile, and what you post.
- Check-ins and reviews are public by default. You can make a check-in "Only me".
- We don't sell or share your personal information. We don't show ads. We don't use analytics or tracking tools.
- You can delete your account and your posts at any time in the app.
What we collect
Account. You sign in with Apple or Google. We receive your email address (with Apple this can be a private relay address) and an account ID from Apple or Google. If you use Google, we also receive the name on your Google account. We don't use your name or email for marketing, and we don't show them to anyone.
Profile. Your username, your profile photo (optional), your home area (the nearest city, set from your location or picked by you), the date you joined, and when you confirmed you are 13 or older.
Taste preferences. Your usual sweetness, ice, toppings, and drink types. These are private and only used to pre-fill your check-ins.
Reviews. The shop, the drink, your star rating and answers, your comment, an optional photo, and the time. When you post, the app checks that you are within 30 miles of the shop; your location isn't saved with the review. Before upload, the app re-saves photos, which removes hidden photo data such as GPS tags.
Check-ins (when available). The photo you take in the app, the shop, the drink, the options you ordered, the time, and your location when you took the photo. We use the location to check that you are within 1 mile of the shop.
Activity. Your likes, your Want to Try list, the Scouts you block, and any reports you send (with an optional note).
Suggestions. Shops and drinks you suggest. To suggest a shop you can search Apple Maps or press the map: what you type and the point you pick are sent to Apple to find matching places, and the shop you choose (its name, address, and location) is sent to us.
Location. With your permission, the app uses your location while you use it. It uses your location to show shops near you, to build your Nearby feed, and to check that reviews and check-ins are near the shop. We only save your location as part of a check-in and as your home area. We never use location in the background.
Technical logs. Our servers keep short-lived logs of requests, such as IP address, time, and the page or data requested. We use them to keep the service running and secure.
What we don't collect. No contacts, advertising IDs, browsing history, health data, or payment data. The app has no ad, analytics, or crash-reporting tools.
How we use it
We use your information to run your account, show shops and feeds, verify check-ins, compute stats such as your Scout rank, show your public profile and posts, handle reports and keep BobaScout safe, and answer you when you contact us.
Who can see what
Public to everyone using BobaScout: your username, profile photo, home area, join date, Scout rank, check-in and review counts, your public check-ins (photo, drink, shop, options, and time), your reviews, and your likes.
Only you: your email, your taste preferences, your Want to Try list, your private check-ins, and the reports you send. Other Scouts never see where you were standing when you checked in. They see only the shop.
Private check-ins. A check-in marked "Only me" never appears in feeds, reviews, or your public profile. It still counts, as a number, in your totals, your Scout rank, and the shop's and drink's averages. Reviews written without a check-in are always public.
Our team can see what's needed to run the service and to handle reports.
Service providers
We use a few companies to run BobaScout. They process data for us and may not use it for their own purposes.
- Supabase stores our database, accounts, and photos on servers in the United States (Amazon Web Services).
- Railway hosts our server, which handles account deletion and admin tools.
- Apple and Google handle sign-in. Their privacy policies apply to your Apple or Google account. Google's sign-in tools may use your IP address to help prevent fraud.
- Apple Maps shows the map, gives directions, and finds places when you suggest a shop.
- Vercel hosts our website.
- Google Workspace handles our support email.
Some shop details come from public sources such as Google Places. "Order online" links open DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, or a shop's website. Those sites have their own privacy policies.
We may also share information if the law requires it, to protect people or our service, or in a merger or sale of the business (this policy would still apply).
We don't sell or share your information
We do not sell your personal information. We do not "share" it for cross-context behavioral advertising, as California law defines that term. We do not track you across other companies' apps or websites.
How long we keep it
- Your account, profile, and posts stay until you delete them or delete your account.
- Server logs are deleted after about 30 days.
- Backups are overwritten within about 30 days. Deleted data can stay in a backup until then.
- Reports are kept as long as we need them for moderation and safety.
- Shops and drinks you suggested stay in the catalog after your account is deleted. Your name isn't attached to them.
Deleting your account
In the app, go to Profile → Settings → Delete account. This permanently deletes your account, profile, photos, check-ins, reviews, likes, taste preferences, Want to Try list, and the reports you sent. It can't be undone. You can also email us to ask for deletion.
You can also remove BobaScout's access in your Apple ID settings (Sign in with Apple) or in your Google Account (third-party connections).
Your rights
Wherever you live, you can ask us to:
- Know and access the personal information we have about you and get a copy;
- Delete your personal information;
- Correct information that's wrong. You can edit your username, photo, home area, and preferences in the app.
California residents have these rights under the CCPA, as amended by the CPRA. You also have the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information; we don't do either. We use precise location only to provide the app, as described above, and not to infer things about you. We won't treat you differently for using your rights.
To make a request, email support@bobascout.app from the email address on your account, or tell us your username. We may need to confirm it's you. An authorized agent can make a request for you with your written permission. We'll respond within 45 days.
Children
BobaScout is for people 13 and older. You must confirm your age to sign up. We don't knowingly collect information from children under 13. If we learn that a child under 13 has an account, we will delete it. If you think a child under 13 is using BobaScout, email us.
Security
Data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS). Database rules keep each Scout's private data private. Check-in photos sit in private storage, and only Scouts allowed to see a check-in can load its photo. Only a small team can use admin tools. No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affects you, we'll tell you as the law requires.
Where data is stored
We store and process data in the United States.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. We'll change the effective date at the top. If a change is important, we'll tell you in the app before it takes effect.
Contact
Asian Digital Mind LLC, Southern California, USA
Email: support@bobascout.app