Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

When you use Your Message in a Bottle, we collect:

• Account Information: Email address, username, and profile photo (optional)
• Bottle Content: Messages, photos, and questions you add to bottles
• Location Data: Approximate location when you toss or find bottles (you control this)
• Usage Data: How you interact with the service (bottles viewed, tossed, found)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Operate and improve the bottle messaging service
• Display your bottles on the map and in explore
• Send notifications about your bottles (when someone finds them)
• Prevent abuse and maintain community safety

3. Information Sharing

Your bottle messages are public by design - anyone can find and read them. However:

• Your email is never shown publicly
• You can use a pseudonym instead of your real name
• We don't sell your personal data to third parties
• We use Mapbox for maps and Supabase for data storage

4. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information, including:

• Encrypted connections (HTTPS)
• Secure authentication through Supabase
• Regular security updates

5. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Delete your account and associated data
• Opt out of notifications
• Request a copy of your data

6. Cookies

We use essential cookies to:

• Keep you logged in
• Remember your preferences
• Ensure security

7. Children's Privacy

Our service is available to users of all ages, but users under 13 require parental consent.

For users under 13:

• A parent or guardian must create the account using their email
• Parents are responsible for supervising their child's use
• We recommend parents:
  • Use a nickname instead of child's real name
  • Disable precise location sharing
  • Monitor messages their child sends/receives
  • Not upload photos containing their child

Parents can request deletion of their child's account and data at any time by contacting us.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We'll notify you of significant changes via email or in-app notification.

9. Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or your data, contact us at:

Email: privacy@yourmessageinabottle.com
Or use the contact form on our website