Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

Email Address: We collect your email address when you create an account. This is required for authentication, account access, and service-related communications.

Optional Information: Guides may choose to provide additional information including but not limited to:

• Name and contact details
• Business or organization information
• Location and address
• Phone number
• Images and photographs
• Tour and activity descriptions
• Pricing and availability information

All information beyond your email address is voluntary. We only collect what you choose to share for display on your guide subsite.

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

We do not track IP addresses or use tracking technologies beyond essential session management.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Account Management: Your email address is used to authenticate your account and provide access to the platform.
• Service Communications: We may send service-related emails regarding your account, platform updates, or important changes to our services.
• Public Display: Any information you choose to share as part of your guide subsite (excluding your login email address) will be publicly visible on the internet. This is fundamental to GuideVia's business model as a platform for guides to showcase their services.
• Platform Improvement: We may use aggregated, non-identifiable data to improve our services.

Important: Content you publish on your guide subsite is public by design. Do not include any information you wish to keep private.

3. How We Share Your Information

GuideVia does not sell, trade, or rent your email address or personal information to third parties.

We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We share data with third-party service providers necessary to operate the platform (see Section 4 for details).
• Legal Compliance: We may disclose information when required by law, legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of GuideVia, our users, or others.
• Public Content: Content you publish on your guide subsite is publicly accessible by design.

4. Data Storage and Security

4.1 Third-Party Services

GuideVia uses minimal third-party services to operate the platform:

• Hosting Provider: Our data is stored on servers provided by Linode (Akamai Cloud). View their privacy statement.
• Email Service: Email communications are handled by Postmark. Your email address may be shared with them for delivery purposes. View their privacy policy.

4.2 Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including (but not limited to):

• SSL/HTTPS encryption for data transmission
• CSRF protection against cross-site attacks
• Password hashing (we never store plain-text passwords)
• Secure session management
• Regular security checks and updates

Security Disclaimer: While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. Nobody can guarantee absolute security.

5. Cookies and Tracking

GuideVia uses essential cookies required for the platform to function properly.

5.1 Essential Cookies

• Session Cookies: Used for authentication and maintaining your logged-in state

5.2 What We Don't Use

We do not currently use:

• Third-party tracking cookies
• Advertising cookies
• Analytics cookies

You can manage cookie settings through your browser preferences. However, disabling essential cookies may prevent you from using certain features of the platform.

6. Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as necessary to provide our services:

• When you delete content from your guide subsite, it is immediately removed from our systems.
• Account data is retained while your account remains active.
• We do not retain data longer than necessary for service provision or legal compliance.

7. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: You can access your personal information through your account dashboard at any time.
• Modification: You can update or modify your information through your account dashboard or the editor.
• Deletion: You can delete content you have published on your guide subsite at any time.

8. International Users

GuideVia is accessible worldwide. If you are accessing our services from outside the jurisdiction where our servers are located, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in a different country. By using our services, you consent to such transfers.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

• Material changes will be communicated through your account dashboard.
• Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Questions and Concerns

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please check back as we will be establishing a contact channel in the near future.