Privacy Policy

Effective date: April 30, 2026  |  Last updated: September 1, 2026

1. Who We Are

RoadBuddy is operated by Dinky Labs. If you have any questions about this policy, contact us at support@dinkylabs.com.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information when you use RoadBuddy:

• Account information — name and email address when you create an account.
• Location data — GPS coordinates and route path recorded while a drive is in progress. The app uses background location access to detect whether you are still driving and automatically end a drive when you have been idle, so location may be monitored while the app is in the background during an active session. Background location is not used at any other time.
• Drive log data — date, start/end time, duration, distance, average speed, top speed, and weather conditions for each logged drive.
• Device information — device type, operating system version, and app version for crash reporting and compatibility purposes.
• Usage data — in-app events (e.g., feature taps) used to understand how the app is used and improve it.

We do not collect payment information, Social Security numbers, or health data.

3. Where Your Data Is Stored

Drives you record are always stored on your device. If you use RoadBuddy without an account, your data stays on your device and is not sent to our servers.

If you create an account, your drive log and profile are backed up to our servers (Google Firebase) so your history is preserved if you change or reset your device. GPS route paths are included in that backup by default. You can turn route backup off in Settings → Privacy; when it is off, route paths stay on your device only and are removed from our servers on the next sync. Drive summary details (date, time, distance, and similar) remain backed up regardless of this setting.

4. How We Use Your Information

• Provide and maintain the RoadBuddy service (logging drives, displaying progress).
• Detect active driving and automatically end idle sessions using background location.
• Allow teachers or parents linked to your account to view your driving log and total hours.
• Send transactional emails (account verification, password reset).
• Diagnose crashes and improve app performance.
• Power the #DriveForGood missions and points/rewards system.

We do not use your data to serve targeted advertising.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share data only in these limited circumstances:

• With your teacher or parent/guardian — if you are enrolled in a class or linked account, your teacher/guardian can see your drive log and total hours. You control who is linked to your account.
• Service providers — we use Google Firebase (Firestore and Authentication) to store and authenticate data. Google's use of your data is governed by its privacy policies.
• Legal requirements — if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of users.

6. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

RoadBuddy is designed for student drivers, which may include users under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us at support@dinkylabs.com and we will delete it promptly.

For users under 18, we encourage a parent or guardian to review this policy.

7. Student Data (Schools and Driver's Education Programs)

When RoadBuddy is used through a school or driver's education program, we act as a service provider to that program. Student drive logs and account information are used solely to provide the service to the student and the program — never to build advertising profiles, and never sold. Students and parents may request access to, correction of, or deletion of a student's data by contacting support@dinkylabs.com; we will act on the request within 24 hours.

We support signing a data privacy agreement with a school or district. If we become aware of a data breach affecting student information, we will notify the affected program without unreasonable delay. Programs seeking a data privacy agreement or a data-practices summary for their compliance review (including under laws such as FERPA and the Illinois Student Online Personal Protection Act) should contact support@dinkylabs.com.

8. Data Retention

We retain your account and drive log data for as long as your account is active. To delete your account and all associated data, contact us at support@dinkylabs.com. We will delete your data within 24 hours of your request.

9. Your Rights and Choices

• Access & correction — you can view and edit your profile information within the app.
• Delete account & data — account and data deletion must be requested by contacting support@dinkylabs.com. We will delete all your data within 24 hours of your request.
• GPS route backup — if you have an account, you can turn off backup of GPS route paths in Settings → Privacy. Route paths then stay on your device only.
• Location permissions — you can change or revoke location access (including background location) in your device settings at any time. Revoking background location will disable automatic idle-drive detection; you can still log and end drives manually.
• California residents (CCPA) — you have the right to know what personal information we collect, request deletion, and opt out of sale (we do not sell personal information).

10. Data Security

We use industry-standard practices to protect your data, including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) and Firebase security rules that restrict access to your data to authorized accounts only. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Third-Party Services

RoadBuddy uses the following third-party services that may collect data under their own privacy policies:

• Google Firebase — database, authentication, and analytics (Firebase Privacy)
• Apple App Store / Google Play Store — download and payment processing handled entirely by Apple/Google

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we will notify you via email or an in-app notice.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

• Email: support@dinkylabs.com
• Web: dinkylabs.com/roadbuddy