Privacy Policy

FyndMe ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website at fyndme.org and related services (collectively, the "Service").

1. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create a FyndMe account, we collect:

• Email address
• Password
• Date of birth (used solely to verify you meet the minimum age requirement — this information is not stored after verification)

Item Information

When you register items, we collect:

• Item name, description, and category
• Photos you upload
• Pet details (species, breed, etc.) if you register a pet
• QR code assignments

Finder Information

When a finder scans a QR code and contacts an owner, we collect:

• The message content they send
• Their IP address (for rate limiting and abuse prevention only)
• Geographic coordinates of the item location, if the finder chooses to include them (optional)
• Photos they upload (optional)

Finders are not required to create an account or provide personal information to contact an owner.

Usage and Technical Data

• QR scan events (timestamp, general location derived from IP)
• Browser type, device type, and operating system
• Pages visited and features used
• IP addresses (for security and rate limiting)

Payment Information

Payment processing is handled entirely by a PCI DSS Level 1 certified payment provider (Stripe). We do not store credit card numbers or bank account details. We receive only a customer reference, subscription status, and plan tier.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to:

• Provide the Service — enable item registration, QR scanning, anonymous messaging, and item recovery
• Protect users — detect abuse, enforce rate limits, review flagged content, and prevent fraud
• Manage accounts — process subscriptions, enforce tier limits, and handle billing
• Communicate — send transactional emails (new messages, scan alerts, ownership transfers, account changes)
• Improve the Service — analyze aggregate usage patterns to improve features and performance

3. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We share information only in these cases:

• With finders — only the item category, name, description, and photo, when provided.
• With linked accounts — if you invite someone as a linked account, they can access items and permissions you explicitly share.
• Service providers — trusted infrastructure and payment processing providers that are contractually obligated to protect your data.
• Legal requirements — if required by law, court order, or governmental regulation.
• Safety — to protect the rights, safety, or property of FyndMe, our users, or the public.

4. Progressive Visibility

FyndMe uses a "progressive visibility" system for item pages. When a finder scans your QR code, they see only the item name, description, category, and photo by default. No personal information is shared between finders and owners. We do not collect names, phone numbers, or addresses. However, owners and finders may choose to share personal details through the messaging platform, at their own risk, for the purpose of facilitating a return. They control what the other party can see.

5. Data Storage and Security

• All data is stored on infrastructure hosted in the United States
• Data is encrypted in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and at rest
• Authentication is managed by an industry-standard identity provider
• Finder access is temporary and automatically expires
• Photos are stored securely and accessed through restricted, expiring links
• API endpoints are rate-limited to prevent abuse

6. Data Retention

• Account data — retained while your account is active. Deleted upon account deletion.
• Item data — retained while the item is registered. Soft-deleted when you delete an item (description, photo, and name are removed).
• Conversations and messages — deleted when the associated item is deleted or account is closed.
• Abuse reports — automatically deleted after 90 days.
• Rate limit records — automatically expire and are removed.
• QR scan events — retained for analytics; contain no personal information beyond anonymized IP data.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data through your dashboard and account settings
• Correct your information by editing items and account details
• Delete your account and all associated data through the account settings page
• Control visibility of your personal fields on a per-finder basis
• Export your data by contacting us at support@fyndme.org

8. Children's Privacy

FyndMe is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Cookies and Tracking

FyndMe uses only essential cookies and local storage for authentication (session tokens). We do not use third-party tracking cookies, advertising pixels, or analytics services that track individual users across websites.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email. The "Last updated" date at the bottom of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact us at support@fyndme.org.