The short version. We collect what we need to run a local book marketplace: your Google account basics, your listings and chats, and your approximate location. Others only ever see your area, never your exact location. We don't sell your personal data. The app shows ads, and you can delete your account at any time from the app.
This policy explains how BookLoop ("BookLoop", "we", "us") handles information when you use the BookLoop mobile app and this website (together, the "Service"). By using the Service you agree to this policy. If you don't agree, please don't use the Service.
1. Information we collect
Information you give us
- Account. When you sign in with Google we receive your name, email address and profile photo. You can change your display name and photo in the app.
- Profile. Your country, preferred currency, language, the reading interests you choose and, if you add one, a phone number.
- Listings. The books you list: title, author, ISBN, condition, description, price, photos and the location you list them from.
- Messages. The chats, offers and quick replies you exchange with other users.
- Watches, saved books and searches. The books you watch for, save or search for.
- Reports and support. Anything you send us when you report a user or listing, or contact us.
Information collected automatically
- Device and app information. Device model, operating system, app version, language, time zone and a random install identifier.
- Usage. Screens you visit and actions such as viewing, saving or sharing a listing, used to improve the Service and keep it reliable.
- Notifications. A push token so we can send you the notifications you've turned on.
- Crash reports. Technical details when the app crashes or hits an error.
- Advertising. Your device's advertising identifier and ad interactions (see Ads and analytics).
2. How we use your information
- To run the marketplace: show listings near you, let you list books and chat with other readers, and deliver notifications such as new messages and Watch matches.
- To personalise what you see, for example "Picked for you" recommendations based on your interests and activity.
- To make search work well, including smart search that understands what a book is about.
- To suggest fair prices, based on what similar copies have listed for.
- To keep BookLoop safe: preventing spam and fraud, enforcing our Terms, and reviewing reports.
- To fix problems, understand how the Service is used and improve it.
- To show ads that keep BookLoop free.
- To contact you about your account and, if you allow it, send updates such as a digest of new books and activity. You can turn these off in the app.
3. Location
BookLoop is local by design, so location matters, and we treat it carefully.
- With your permission we use your device's location to show books near you. You can instead pick a city by hand, and you can turn off location access in your device settings at any time.
- When you list a book we store the location you list it from. Other users never see that exact location. They see an approximate area, rounded to about 1 km, a neighbourhood or city name, and the distance from them.
- To turn coordinates into place names we use OpenStreetMap's geocoding service. The in-app map loads map tiles from OpenStreetMap.
4. Who we share information with
We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as follows:
- Other users. Your public profile (display name, photo, area, member-since date, number of books listed and sold, typical reply time) and your listings are visible to others. Your messages are visible to the person you're chatting with.
- Service providers who process data for us under contract:
- Google Firebase, for sign-in, push notifications, real-time chat delivery, analytics and crash reporting;
- Google AdMob, for ads;
- DigitalOcean, which hosts our servers and database;
- ImageKit, which stores and delivers listing and profile photos;
- Voyage AI, which processes listing text and search queries to power smart search and recommendations (it doesn't receive your name or contact details);
- OpenStreetMap and Open Library, for place names and book details.
- Social media. We may feature public listings (cover photo, title, price and area) on BookLoop's own social media pages, such as Instagram.
- Legal reasons. If the law requires it, or to protect the rights, property or safety of BookLoop, our users or the public.
- Business changes. If BookLoop is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that deal. This policy will still apply to it.
Our providers may process data in countries other than yours, including the United States and India. We use providers that protect data to the standards this policy describes.
5. Ads and analytics
BookLoop is free because of ads. Ads are provided by Google AdMob, which may use your device's advertising identifier and similar technologies to show and measure ads, and to show ads that are more relevant to you.
- Where the law requires consent (for example in the EEA, UK and Switzerland), the app asks for your choice before personalised ads are shown. You can change it later in Account → Ad privacy options.
- You can reset your advertising ID or opt out of personalised ads in your device settings (on Android: Settings → Google → Ads).
- Learn more in how Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services.
We use Firebase Analytics and Crashlytics to understand how the app is used and to fix crashes. This website doesn't use advertising or analytics cookies.
6. How long we keep information
- We keep your account information while your account is open.
- Deleting your account: when you ask us to delete your account, it is deactivated straight away and your listings are hidden. You then have 30 days to change your mind by signing in again. After that we permanently delete your account and profile, remove your listings, saved books, Watches, notifications and devices, and anonymise your ad and analytics records. In past conversations, other users see "Deleted user" in place of your name.
- Real-time chat copies used to deliver messages expire automatically after 180 days.
- We may keep limited information for longer where the law requires it, or to resolve disputes, prevent fraud and enforce our Terms. Examples are records of moderation actions and reports.
- Encrypted backups are kept for up to 7 days before they are overwritten.
7. Security
We protect your information with measures such as encryption in transit (HTTPS), encrypted backups, access controls and short-lived sign-in tokens. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, so we can't guarantee absolute security. Please keep your Google account secure, too.
8. Your rights and choices
Depending on where you live (for example under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, or the GDPR), you may have the right to:
- access the personal data we hold about you, and correct or update it;
- delete your account and personal data. In the app, go to Account → Delete account, or email us;
- withdraw consent, for example to location access, notifications or personalised ads, using your device or in-app settings;
- object to or restrict certain processing, and ask for a copy of your data in a portable format;
- complain to your local data protection authority.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at the address below. We'll reply within the time the law requires, and may need to confirm it's really you first.
9. Children
BookLoop is not meant for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their personal information. If you are under 18, you may use BookLoop only with the permission and supervision of a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has given us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We'll post the new version here with a new effective date and, if the changes are significant, let you know in the app.
11. Contact us
For any question or request about privacy, email sharathnaik89@gmail.com.