Privacy Policy

• Email address: when you create an account or sign in, so we can identify your account and send you sign-in and account emails.
• First name and avatar: your first name (and, if you sign in with Apple, your last name, which we never show to anyone) and the avatar you choose (initials or an emoji), and whether you have turned on the setting to show your name to other members, which is off by default. See “Your profile and what other members see” below.
• User ID: an identifier we assign to your account.
• Device ID: an app-specific identifier for your device, used to keep you signed in, deliver notifications and count usage. We do not use Apple’s advertising identifier (IDFA).
• Purchase history: whether you have an active subscription and which offers you have redeemed. Payments are handled by Apple; we never see your card details.
• Product interaction: how you use the app, for example the screens, places and offers you view.
• Coarse location: an approximate location, only if you allow location access, so we can show places near you and understand which neighbourhoods are used. You can turn this off at any time in your device settings.
• Diagnostics: crash and performance information that helps us fix problems.

If you contact us or a place submits a listing request on our website, we also receive the details you choose to send, such as your name, email and message.

• To provide the Service (App Functionality): your account, subscription, offers and redemptions.
• To understand and improve the Service (Analytics): which features and neighbourhoods are used and where things go wrong.
• To communicate with you: sign-in links, account and subscription messages, and replies to your questions.
• To keep the Service secure and prevent misuse.

We do not use your data to track you across apps or websites owned by other companies, we do not sell or rent personal information, and we do not share it for advertising. The Service contains no third-party advertising.

We share information only with providers that process it on our behalf to run the Service:

• Mixpanel: product analytics.
• Google Firebase: authentication, analytics (without advertising identifiers) and push notifications.
• Twilio SendGrid: sending email.
• Apple: App Store and In-App Purchase payments and subscriptions.
• Hygraph: storing the places, offers and events content.
• MongoDB: storing account and subscription records.
• Vercel: hosting our website and services.

We may also disclose information if required by law, or as part of a merger or sale of the business, in which case this policy will continue to apply.

Offers are provided by the places listed in Localist. When you redeem an offer, the place may see that a Localist member redeemed it, but we do not give places your email address or contact details.

When you create an account, we ask for your first name and let you choose an avatar (initials or an emoji). We never show your last name or email address to other members.

Off by default. Other members only see your first name and avatar if you turn on the setting to show your name to other members. If you do, they may appear on the page of a place where you've redeemed an Offer in the last 30 days, for example "Juno and 17 more redeemed here in the last 30 days". We never show a list of everyone who redeemed, or when you were there.

Turning it off. You can turn this off any time in Settings › Profile, and we'll stop showing your name and avatar straight away. Deleting your account removes your profile and redemption history.

Counted, not named. Every Offer redemption is counted anonymously, so a place can show a total such as "19 members redeemed here in the last 30 days" no matter what your setting is. We only show a count when at least 3 different members have redeemed at that place in the last 30 days, so no single visit can be picked out.

Shared lists. When you share a list, the people you share it with can see your first name as the list's owner.

We keep account information for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we delete your profile, redemption history, saved places and lists, referrals, rewards and other account information within 30 days. We don’t keep our own purchase records: App Store payments and receipts are handled by Apple under its own terms. Analytics data is kept in aggregated or pseudonymous form.

You can ask us to access, correct, export or delete your information at any time by emailing hello@thelocal.ist from the address on your account. We will respond within 30 days.

You can turn off location access and notifications in your device settings, and manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple ID settings.

If you are in the UK or the European Economic Area, you have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to our use of your personal data, and to data portability. We rely on performance of our contract with you to provide the Service, and on our legitimate interests to analyse and improve it and keep it secure; where we rely on consent (such as location access), you can withdraw it at any time. You can also complain to your local data protection authority, such as the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion or correction, and to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights. To make a request, email hello@thelocal.ist.

Our service providers may process information in the United States and other countries. Where we transfer personal data from the UK or EEA, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses and the UK International Data Transfer Addendum.

We use encryption in transit and access controls to protect your information. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your data and will notify you as required by law if a breach affects you.

The Service is not directed at children under 13 (or under 16 where that is the local age of digital consent), and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.

We may update this policy from time to time. We will change the date at the top and, for significant changes, let you know in the app or by email.

Questions or requests: hello@thelocal.ist.