Cerqa is a location-sharing app. We built it with a clear principle: your location data belongs to you. It is shared only when you choose to share it, only with the people you choose. Your location is never sold, never shared with advertisers, and never used to target ads.
Who We Are
Cerqa is operated by Cerqa LLC. This policy applies to the Cerqa mobile app (iOS and Android) and the website at cerqa.app. When we say "we", "us", or "our", we mean Cerqa LLC. When we say "you", we mean anyone who uses Cerqa.
If you have questions about this policy, contact us at privacy@cerqa.net.
Information We Collect
Account information. When you create an account, we collect your email address and create a username for you, which you can change. Your first and last name are optional. If you sign in with Apple or Google and choose to share your name, we use it to fill in your profile. You can also add a phone number if you want. This information is stored securely in our database (AWS DynamoDB via AWS Amplify/Cognito).
Profile photo. If you upload a profile photo, it is stored in a private AWS S3 bucket and only accessible to users who can see your profile. Photos are retained until you replace them or delete your account.
Location data. During an active location sharing session, we collect your GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude), speed, bearing (direction of travel), and GPS accuracy. We also transmit navigation data such as estimated distance and time remaining to your destination if you have started turn-by-turn navigation. This data is transmitted in real time to the people you have chosen to share with. It is not stored persistently on our servers. When a session ends, your live location is no longer transmitted or retained.
Messages and chat. Messages you send through Cerqa are stored on our servers (AWS DynamoDB) so they can be delivered and retrieved across devices. Messages include the text content, sender identity, timestamps, and read receipts. Message content is encrypted at rest using AES-256 before being written to the database; the encryption key is stored separately in AWS Secrets Manager and is not embedded in the application. Images sent in chat are stored in a private AWS S3 bucket. Messages are retained until you delete them or delete your account.
Notifications. In-app notifications (such as connection requests and location sharing invitations) are stored on our servers (AWS DynamoDB) so they can be retrieved in your inbox. The title and message content of these notifications are encrypted at rest using AES-256, with the encryption key managed via AWS Secrets Manager.
Device contacts. If you grant contacts permission, Cerqa reads your device contact list locally on your device to help you find friends who are already on Cerqa. Your contact list is not uploaded to our servers. Only when you explicitly add someone as a connection does a record of that relationship get stored on our servers.
Push notification token. We collect a push notification token (provided by Firebase Cloud Messaging on Android, or APNs on iOS) along with a device identifier and platform type (iOS or Android) to send you notifications. This is stored on our servers and linked to your account.
Voice input. If you use voice search, your voice is processed on-device using your device's built-in speech recognition. We do not receive or store your voice audio.
Usage analytics. We use Google Analytics for Firebase in the app, and Google Analytics on cerqa.app and ride.cerqa.app, to understand how Cerqa is used and what to improve. This includes the screens and features you use (for example, starting a location share or creating a trip), app version, device type, operating system, language, and approximate region. It is linked to an internal account ID, never your name, email address, phone number, or location. Page addresses are sent without trip links or other private identifiers. Google's advertising features are turned off in analytics: analytics does not collect an advertising ID, and analytics data is not used for ads.
Advertising. Free accounts see ads from Google AdMob. Google's ads software in the app collects device information as described in the Advertising section below. Cerqa does not give advertisers your location, trips, messages, connections, or contacts.
Background Location
Cerqa accesses your location in the background only during an active location sharing session, meaning you have explicitly tapped "Start sharing" in the app. Background location access is used solely to keep your live position updated for the contacts or group you chose to share with.
On Android: A persistent foreground service runs while sharing is active, and a notification is displayed at all times. You can stop sharing at any time by tapping "Stop Sharing" in the notification.
On iOS: The app uses the iOS background location mode to maintain location updates when you switch apps or lock your screen during an active session. The blue location indicator in your status bar will be visible while this is active.
Background location access stops immediately when your session ends, when the session timer expires, or when you force-quit the app. For a full explanation of our background location practices, see cerqa.app/background_location_disclosure.
How We Use Your Information
- To operate the app: authenticating your account, enabling location sharing sessions, delivering messages, and sending notifications.
- To help you find people you know: matching phone numbers from your device contact list against existing Cerqa users (processed locally, not uploaded).
- To deliver push notifications: location sharing requests, chat messages, connection invites, and arrival confirmations.
- To allow real-time location sharing with the contacts or groups you choose.
- To improve reliability and fix bugs through Firebase crash reporting and analytics.
We do not build advertising profiles from your location or usage data, and we never share your location, trips, messages, connections, or contacts with advertisers.
Advertising
To keep Cerqa free, free accounts see a small ad card in some places in the app, such as Home. Pro accounts see no ads. Ads never appear while you navigate or on CarPlay.
Ads are provided by Google AdMob. To choose, show, and measure ads, and to prevent fraud, Google's ads software collects information such as your device type and settings, IP address (which gives an approximate location, like your city), how you interact with ads, and on Android, your device's advertising ID. On iPhone, Cerqa does not ask for permission to track you, so the advertising identifier (IDFA) is not used. Cerqa does not send Google your GPS location or any of your Cerqa data.
Depending on where you are and the choices you make, ads may be personalized based on your interests, or based only on general information such as the app and your approximate location:
- European Economic Area, UK, and Switzerland: Google's consent message asks you first. Ads are personalized only if you agree.
- US states with privacy laws (such as California): you can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data for ads.
- Anywhere: you can reset or delete your advertising ID on Android (Settings, then Google, then Ads), or turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track on iPhone.
Where the law requires it, Cerqa's Profile screen shows Privacy choices for ads, which reopens Google's message so you can change your answer at any time. Learn how Google uses information from apps that use its services at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.
Sharing and Third Parties
We do not sell your personal data for money. Some US state laws treat personalized ads as "sharing" data; you can opt out as described in the Advertising section. We share your information only in the following circumstances:
- With people you choose. When you share your location or send a message, that data is shared with the specific contacts or group members you selected.
- With service providers. We use third-party services to operate the app. Each processes data only as necessary to provide its service.
- For legal reasons. We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users or the public.
| Service | Purpose | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|
| AWS Amplify / Cognito | Account authentication and user management | aws.amazon.com/privacy |
| AWS AppSync / DynamoDB / S3 | Database storage for messages, profiles, and media | aws.amazon.com/privacy |
| AWS Secrets Manager | Secure storage of the AES-256 encryption key used to encrypt message and notification content | aws.amazon.com/privacy |
| Ably | Real-time transmission of location data and chat messages | ably.com/privacy |
| Mapbox | Maps, place search, and turn-by-turn navigation (receives your location while you use the map or navigate) | mapbox.com/legal/privacy |
| Google Places | Location search and place autocomplete | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Firebase (Google) | Push notifications (FCM), crash reporting, and app and website analytics | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Google AdMob | Ads shown to free accounts, and the consent and privacy choices message for ads | policies.google.com/technologies/ads |
| Amazon Bedrock (AWS) | AI descriptions of route options. Receives the destination name and route details (roads, distance, traffic), not your name or account | aws.amazon.com/privacy |
| Amazon SES (AWS) | Emails the developer when you report content or block someone | aws.amazon.com/privacy |
| Apple and Google sign-in | Optional sign-in with your Apple or Google account | apple.com/legal/privacy |
| RevenueCat | Pro subscription purchases and status (an internal account ID and purchase records; payment itself is handled by Apple or Google) | revenuecat.com/privacy |
| OpenWeather | Rain checks, such as a rain alert for a person, a drive, or a photo caption. Receives map coordinates, not your name or account | openweather.co.uk/privacy-policy |
| Wikimedia | Photos and short descriptions of places, loaded by your device from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons | foundation.wikimedia.org |
Data Retention
- Account data is retained until you delete your account.
- Live location data is not stored persistently. It is transmitted in real time during active sessions only.
- Messages are retained until you delete them individually or delete your account.
- Photos and media stored in S3 are retained until you replace them or delete your account.
- Push notification tokens are retained while your account is active and removed when you delete your account or revoke notification permission.
When you delete your account, we delete your profile, contacts, messages, and associated data from our servers. Some data may be retained in backups for a short period before being purged.
Your Rights and Choices
Location permission. You can revoke location access at any time in your device settings. The app will continue to work for messaging and other features that do not require location.
Contacts permission. You can revoke contacts access at any time. Revoking it does not affect connections you have already made.
Notification permission. You can disable push notifications in your device settings. You will still receive in-app notifications when the app is open.
Ads. You can change your ad choices as described in the Advertising section. Upgrading to Pro removes ads.
Access and correction. You can view and edit your profile information within the app at any time.
Account deletion. You can delete your account from the Profile screen within the app. This permanently removes your account and associated data from our systems.
GDPR and CCPA. If you are in the European Economic Area, UK, Switzerland, California, or another US state with a privacy law, you have additional rights including the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data, and to object to certain processing. Contact us at privacy@cerqa.net to exercise these rights.
Security
All data is transmitted over TLS (HTTPS). Account authentication is managed by AWS Cognito. Media files are stored in private S3 buckets and accessible only via short-lived signed URLs. We do not store passwords. Authentication credentials are managed by AWS Cognito.
Chat message content and in-app notification data (title and message fields) are encrypted at rest using AES-256 (CBC mode) before being stored in DynamoDB. The encryption key is managed via AWS Secrets Manager and is not stored in the application's source code or binary.
No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at privacy@cerqa.net.
Children's Privacy
Cerqa is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, please contact us at privacy@cerqa.net and we will delete the account promptly.
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 material changes, we will notify you in the app or by email. Continued use of Cerqa after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy, contact us at:
Cerqa, LLC
privacy@cerqa.net