Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026 · GDPR-oriented

This policy explains how TravelBuddy247 handles your data. Controller contact: ashish@travelbuddy247.com. Privacy concerns or account-related complaints: complaints@travelbuddy247.com.

1. Controller

The controller responsible for processing your personal data is:
Ashish Kumar, Saarbrücken, Germany
Email: ashish@travelbuddy247.com
Full legal postal address available upon legitimate legal request.

2. Data we collect

• Account data: email address, hashed password
• Profile data: name, age, city, bio, languages, interests, profile photo (optional)
• Usage data: Discover actions, connection requests, messages (stored in our database)
• Technical data: IP address (server logs), browser type, device type

3. Purpose of processing

• To operate Discover, connection request, and chat features
• To allow other users to see your public profile information
• To improve matching quality and product safety
• To prevent abuse and ensure platform safety

4. What we do not do

• We do not sell your data to third parties
• We do not run advertising or tracking pixels
• We do not expose your exact GPS coordinates publicly
• We do not expose private message content to other users

5. Legal basis (GDPR Art. 6)

• Art. 6(1)(b) — performance of a contract (account & matching features)
• Art. 6(1)(f) — legitimate interests (platform security, abuse prevention)
• Art. 6(1)(a) — consent (optional profile photo, optional data)

6. Cookies and analytics

We use session storage for authentication. We do not currently use tracking cookies or third-party analytics. If analytics are added later, this policy and cookie consent will be updated before doing so.

7. Data sharing

We do not sell your data. Profile information you enter (name, city, bio, interests) is visible to other registered users as part of the matching feature. We do not share personal data with third parties except where required by law.

8. Matching improvement and product research

TravelBuddy247 studies how to make matching explainable and fair (see our Research page). Matching improvement data use is optional. Only if you opt in — a toggle in your profile settings, off by default and reversible at any time — may we use your activity in a pseudonymized form to improve matching quality and product safety, and to conduct and publish research on matching, fairness, and online behaviour, including with academic partners. Withdrawing consent stops any future research use.

"Pseudonymized" means your data is identified only by a random research code rather than your real identity. Research exports never include your name, email, photos, private messages, password hashes or tokens, or direct contact details. Because the random code can in principle be linked back to an account by us, we describe this data as pseudonymized rather than fully anonymous.

Data that may be included in a pseudonymized research export:

• Profile matching signals (e.g. city, languages, interests, travel style)
• Discover actions such as save / skip / connect
• Matching scores and reasons, where applicable
• Connection outcomes and feedback (e.g. "did you meet?")
• AirportBuddy matching outcomes
• Aggregated safety signals

We study patterns across groups, not individuals. Aggregated results may be published.

9. Data retention

Account data is retained as long as your account is active. You can request deletion at any time by contacting us. We will delete your data within 30 days of a valid request.

10. Your rights (GDPR)

• Right of access (Art. 15) — request a copy of your data
• Right to rectification (Art. 16) — correct inaccurate data
• Right to erasure (Art. 17) — request deletion of your account
• Right to restriction (Art. 18) — limit how we process your data
• Right to data portability (Art. 20) — receive your data in a structured format
• Right to object (Art. 21) — object to processing based on legitimate interests

To exercise any right, contact us at ashish@travelbuddy247.com. For privacy concerns or account-related complaints, contact complaints@travelbuddy247.com.

11. Right to lodge a complaint

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority. In Germany this is the Unabhängiges Datenschutzzentrum Saarland (UDZ).

12. Emails and notifications

We send emails for account and service functionality, not for advertising, and we do not sell your data. These may include:

• Email verification and password reset
• AirportBuddy and match-related notifications where applicable
• Unread-message reminders, if you have them enabled

Unread-message reminder emails tell you only that you have unread messages waiting — they never include private message content, names, or routes. You can turn them off at any time under Notification preferences in your profile. Critical account and security emails (such as verification or password reset) may still be sent when needed.