Plain-language summary: The specific stuff from your check-ins, like which bar, how many drinks, how you got home, stays on your phone. We don't send any of it to our servers. The only thing we ever collect is anonymous counts, like how many check-ins happened this week across everyone using the app, and there's no way to trace that back to you.
1. Information we collect
We separate what we collect into two categories, because they're treated very differently.
1.1 Information that stays on your device
The following data is stored locally on your phone only. It is never transmitted to, or stored on, any server we operate:
- Venue check-in details, like which bar you were at and when you got there or left.
- Your answers during a safety check-in: how you're getting home and how many drinks you've had.
- Precise location history tied to specific check-ins or timestamps.
- The math behind your risk score, basically the breakdown of why your status says low, moderate, or high.
Because this information never leaves your device, we don't have access to it. We can't see it, and we couldn't hand it over even if someone asked, since it was never ours to begin with.
1.2 Information we may collect in aggregate
To understand how Polarys is used and to improve it, we may collect anonymous, aggregated usage statistics that cannot be traced back to an individual user, such as:
- Total number of safety check-ins completed across all users in a given period.
- Overall counts of which transportation option was selected (e.g., rideshare vs. sober ride vs. driving), without any user identifier, venue, or timestamp attached.
- General app usage metrics (crash reports, app opens) that do not include the sensitive check-in content described in 1.1.
2. Location and Bluetooth access
Polarys requests background location access to detect when you arrive at or leave a bar or nightclub, and Bluetooth access to detect when your phone connects to a vehicle. Both are used solely to power the in-app safety check-in described above and to determine your risk status. Neither is used for advertising, sold to third parties, or shared with any outside company.
You can disable location or Bluetooth access at any time in your device settings. Doing so will limit Polarys's ability to detect when you've left a venue.
3. What we don't do
- We do not sell your data.
- We do not share your check-in details, drink counts, or transportation choices with advertisers, insurers, employers, or any third party.
- We do not use your data to build an advertising profile.
- We do not track you across other apps or websites.
4. Data retention and deletion
Locally stored check-in data remains on your device until you delete it yourself or uninstall the app. You can clear your local history at any time from within the app's settings. Aggregate, anonymized statistics we collect are retained only in a form that cannot be linked back to you, so there is no individual record to delete on our end.
5. Children's privacy
Polarys is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 17, consistent with its alcohol-related content. We do not knowingly collect information from users under this age.
6. Changes to this policy
If we make material changes to this policy, we'll update the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify users in-app.
7. Contact us
Questions about this policy or how Polarys handles data can be sent to hello@polarys.app.
This policy is written to accurately reflect Polarys's current data architecture (local-only storage for sensitive check-in data, aggregate-only server-side data). It has not yet been reviewed by an attorney. Before public launch, this should be reviewed by legal counsel familiar with mobile app privacy law and Apple App Store requirements.