Privacy Policy
The short version: Football Atlas is built to work without knowing who you are. You don't create an account, you don't give us your name or email, and the app never tracks your GPS location. We collect the minimum needed to run the features and keep them free of spam and abuse — and almost all of it is anonymous.
1. Who this applies to
This policy covers the Football Atlas mobile app and the website at footballatlas.app. Football Atlas is an independent, unofficial match-day companion for football fans. By using the app or site, you agree to this policy.
2. Information we collect
Things we deliberately do not collect: we don't ask for your name, email, phone number, date of birth, or any login. There is no sign-up. We do not collect GPS or precise device location — the heat map is built only from people voluntarily tapping "check in," never from background location.
To run the app, we process:
- An anonymous device ID. The app generates a random identifier on your device the first time it runs. We use it only to apply fair-use limits (e.g. how many check-ins or messages you can post) and to prevent abuse. It is not linked to your real identity, and reinstalling the app creates a brand-new ID.
- Voluntary check-ins. When you tap to check in at a neighborhood or venue, we record that anonymous check-in and a timestamp so we can show estimated crowd levels. Check-in signals are short-lived and expire automatically.
- Fan Room activity. If you post in a Fan Room, we store your anonymous message and the country flag you choose. Please don't include personal information in messages — they're public to others in the room and subject to moderation.
- Reports. If you report content, we record the anonymous report so our community moderation can hide content that multiple people flag.
- Anonymous usage analytics. We use PostHog to understand which screens and features are used, so we can improve the app. These events are anonymous and contain no personal information — no name, email, or precise location.
- Standard technical data. Like any internet service, our servers process basic request data (such as a temporary IP address) to deliver content securely and enforce rate limits. We don't use it to build a profile of you.
3. How we use information
- To provide the core features: city guides, transit info, the check-in heat map, and Fan Rooms.
- To keep the service fair and safe: rate limiting, spam prevention, and community moderation.
- To improve the app using anonymous, aggregated usage trends.
We do not sell your data, we don't run third-party advertising trackers, and we don't use your information for advertising profiles.
4. Who we share information with
We share data only with the infrastructure providers that operate the service on our behalf, and only as needed to run it:
- Vercel — application hosting and edge delivery.
- Upstash — temporary storage of check-in and density signals.
- PostHog — anonymous product analytics.
We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect the safety and rights of our users and the service.
5. How long we keep it
- Check-in and crowd-density signals are ephemeral and expire automatically (typically within minutes to hours).
- Fan Room messages are retained to keep conversations readable and to support moderation.
- Reports used for moderation are kept for a limited period (up to about 30 days) and then cleared.
- Anonymous analytics are retained according to our analytics provider's standard retention.
6. Your choices and rights
- Reset your anonymous ID at any time by reinstalling the app, or by using "Clear local data" in the app's settings.
- Opt out of analytics where the app offers an analytics toggle in Settings.
- Request access or deletion. Because we don't hold accounts or identifying information, there's usually nothing tied to your name to delete. If you believe we hold information about you and want it accessed or removed, email us and we'll help.
Depending on where you live, you may have rights under laws such as the GDPR or CCPA. We honor those rights for any personal data we actually hold; given the app's anonymous design, that is minimal by default.
7. Children
Football Atlas is a general-audience app and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
8. Security
We use industry-standard measures — including encryption in transit (HTTPS) and reputable cloud providers — to protect the limited data we process. No system is perfectly secure, but we keep the data we hold minimal precisely to reduce risk.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the app evolves. We'll revise the "Effective date" above when we do; material changes will be reflected on this page.
10. Contact
Questions, privacy requests, or data concerns: feedback@footballatlas.app.