CurbScout (“CurbScout”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) helps drivers find street parking and understand parking rules. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how it is handled, and the choices you have. The short version: we collect the minimum needed to find you parking, we do not sell your personal information, and we do not show you ads.
1. Information we collect
Location
- While using the app: your device location is used to find parking near you, rank suggestions by distance, evaluate the parking rules that apply where you are, and provide turn-by-turn guidance to a spot.
- In the background (optional): if you grant “Always” location access, CurbScout can detect when you have parked, keep your parking session accurate, and alert you before street sweeping or a meter deadline affects your parked car. Background location is entirely optional — the core app works with “While Using” access only, and you can change or revoke access at any time in iOS Settings.
- Searched addresses: when you search for a destination, the address text is sent to our search provider (Google Places) to return matching locations, and the destination coordinates are used to compute parking suggestions and routes.
Motion and device signals
With your permission, CurbScout uses on-device motion activity (e.g., the transition from driving to walking) and related device signals to detect when you have likely parked, so it can offer to start a parking session automatically. These signals are processed for the purpose of park detection; you can decline the permission and start sessions manually instead.
Account information
You can sign in with Apple or Google. We receive the basic profile the provider shares (such as your name and email address, or Apple’s private relay email if you choose to hide yours). Your account is used to sync your saved places, vehicle type, permit settings, and preferences across reinstalls and devices.
Preferences and app data
Saved locations (e.g., Home, Work), vehicle type, residential-permit settings, notification preferences, your intended parking duration, and active parking sessions are stored with your account so the app works the way you set it up.
Purchases
Purchases and subscriptions are processed by Apple through the App Store. We never see or store your payment card details. We use RevenueCat, a subscription-management service, to validate purchase receipts and know which features your account has unlocked. RevenueCat receives a pseudonymous app user ID and purchase receipt data from Apple.
Usage and diagnostics
We collect basic usage analytics and crash diagnostics (through Google Firebase) to understand which features are used and to fix bugs — for example, screens visited, feature taps, app version, device model, and crash traces. This data is used for product improvement, not advertising.
2. How we use information
- Find, rank, and route you to parking near your location or destination.
- Evaluate parking regulations, meter schedules, sweeping schedules, and permit zones for a specific place and time.
- Detect parking events and run parking-session timers and reminders you configure.
- Send the local notifications you ask for (sweeping alerts, meter/time-limit expiry warnings).
- Maintain your account, preferences, and purchases.
- Debug problems, prevent abuse, and improve the product.
3. What we share — and what we don't
We do not sell your personal information. We do not share it with data brokers. We do not run third-party advertising.
We share data only with the service providers that make the app work, and only what each one needs:
- Apple — sign-in (if you choose Sign in with Apple), purchases, and push/local notification delivery.
- Google Firebase — authentication, our application database (your account data and preferences), and analytics/crash reporting.
- Google Places / Maps — address search and geocoding of the addresses you type.
- RevenueCat — purchase receipt validation and subscription status.
- Our routing servers — when the app computes a driving route or snaps a suggestion to the curb, the relevant coordinates are sent to routing servers we operate (hosted on Fly.io). These requests are not tied to an advertising profile.
- Event data providers (e.g., Ticketmaster) — the app may look up public events near a destination to warn you about parking crunches. These lookups use area coordinates, not your identity.
We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of CurbScout, our users, or the public.
4. City parking data
The parking regulations, meter, and schedule data shown in CurbScout come from public sources — city open-data portals, public-records requests, and other published datasets. That data flows into the app; your personal information is never sent to cities or data providers.
5. Data retention and deletion
- Account data (saved places, preferences, sessions) is kept while your account is active.
- To delete your account and its data, email us at from the address associated with your account. Deletion requests are honored within 30 days.
- Diagnostic and analytics data is retained on standard Firebase retention schedules and then deleted or aggregated.
6. Security
Data in transit is encrypted with TLS. Account data is stored in Google Firebase with access rules that restrict each user’s data to that user. No system is perfectly secure, but we design for least privilege and store as little personal data as the product allows.
7. Your rights and choices
- Location and motion permissions can be changed anytime in iOS Settings → CurbScout.
- Notifications can be turned off per-type in the app or in iOS Settings.
- Access, correction, deletion: email us to request a copy of your data, correct it, or delete it.
- California residents: the CCPA/CPRA gives you the right to know, delete, and correct your personal information and to opt out of its sale or sharing. We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined by the CPRA, and we do not use sensitive personal information for anything beyond providing the service. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.
- EU/UK visitors: where GDPR applies, our processing is based on performance of a contract (providing the service you request), your consent (location, motion, background access), and legitimate interest (security, product improvement). You may lodge complaints with your local supervisory authority.
8. Children
CurbScout is built for drivers and is not directed to children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
9. Changes to this policy
If we make material changes, we will update the effective date above and, where appropriate, notify you in the app. Continued use of CurbScout after a change means you accept the updated policy.